Untouched
by FiferRose
Summary: Rosalie has strong feelings toward Bella. However, the feelings aren't as negative as they seem.
1. Chapter 1

Bella walked into our home, shaking her strawberry scented hair nervously. Who could blame her? Walking into a house of vampires was something that no human nerves should have been able to handle. And a desire of more than just a human's blood was something no vampire should have been able to fathom. But Bella... she was different, as she so often grumbled. And I wanted her more than anything. I _had_ to have her...

And it killed me that I couldn't. She was so fragile, so delicate. So human. And I could break her with just one wrong move. Even one that felt so right...

Every move she made sent me spiraling into a different fantasy. Fantasies that, thankfully, allowed me to take matters into my own hands. Literally. As she caught my eye, I gave her a quick half-smile, something she'd probably view as sarcastic, and turned from the edge of the second-floor landing. I loped quickly back to my room, shutting the door and locking it behind me. My unnecessary breathing was already faster than normal. My hands were shaking, and I tried to restrain them for just a moment longer as I turned my radio on to drown out any noise I was about to make.

I walked to my bed, tossing aside the pillows and blankets we used to stage each room. Images of Bella ran through my head. Her shy smile, that irresistable blush that rose frequently in her smooth, pale cheeks, that natural scent of freesias that made my taste buds quiver...

As I thought of her, my hands glided smoothly down my still-clothed body, pretending it was her touch bringing me such pleasure. I ripped my shirt off and imagined Bella was with me, her mouth starting at my collarbone and working downward, kissing and licking every inch of my cold, granite skin. My hands trailed along the path I wished she was making, my fingertips lingering at the sensitive points. My breathing again quickened, and a small sigh escaped my lips. I moved farther down my body, tracing the waistband of my pants with shaking hands, just as I imagined Bella would. I was close enough to feel what little heat my body emanated from my core as Emmett called my name.

"Rose," he said from the other side of the door, "it's time to leave, babe. We're gonna miss the storm if we don't hurry."

I sighed, cursing Emmett's timing, and took a minute to calm my nerves. I grabbed my lucky baseball shirt from my bureau drawer and quickly straightened up the bed, then ran to the door to let Emmett into our room.

He embraced me, kissed me deeply, then gave me a sly smile and gripped my hand, saying, "You know, Rose, I know you don't like Bella that much, but I really think it hurts her feelings that you barricade yourself in our room everytime she's here."

I rolled my eyes and gave a fake grimace as we walked towards the stairs. "Believe me, Em," I said, "it really beats the alternative."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Since this is no longer a one-shot/stand-alone story, I've made some changes to Chapter 1 to make things more cohesive. So, if you haven't already, go back and read the new and improved version. Chapter 3, which will be only Bella's POV, is in the works, along with Chapter 4, which will return to dual POVs! In other news, you've heard it a thousand times, but here it is again: I own none of the characters used below, that honor goes to Stephenie Meyer & Co. Remember, reviews are love! Enjoy. :)  
**

Bella's POV

I followed Esme into the Cullen home just in time to hear Rosalie slam the door of her bedroom. I stared after her for an instant before walking into the den.

_I'm used to it_, _even though_ _I didn't do anything to deserve it. I mean, it's not my fault that I'm human and she's not, _I thought, almost bitter but mainly just resigned. _Whatever._

Emmett and Edward had yet to return from their post-game, "find-food-for-the-human" pit stop, and the barrier Emmett normally provided against Rosalie's wrath was gone with him. At least the initial awkwardness was gone; it was no secret that Rosalie hated my guts. It was merely a part of my new life, and I soon grew tired of walking on eggshells. I accepted that I had to take the good along with the bad.

I laid my bag and jacket down on the superfluously plush couch in the Cullen living room (_Undead room?_) and made my way into the kitchen to wait for Edward's return. My role in the baseball game had been a minor one, but still, I was absolutely ravenous. I walked towards the sink and perched on a counter in front of the window. I traced my fingers along the granite, ignoring the vicious crash from somewhere near Emmett and Rosalie's bedroom, and waited for my sparkling boyfriend to bring me some chow.

Rosalie's POV

I beat Esme to the back door and let myself into the house. I headed straight for my bedroom, slamming the broad wooden door for effect. I just wanted to express to Bella how I felt, to tell her what I'd been waiting to tell her since shortly after I met her, to just get it all out before I went ballistic! I needed to scream, to kick something, but settled instead for throwing a metal lamp across the room, and into a wall. A satisfying crash resounded. I knew that throwing things would seem juvenile and outlandish for an anger I ought to've learned to control long ago. Later, I'd blame it on something Bella said during the game. I'm sure there was something that could have set me off, even if I had to twist a few words. I pretty much had this act down to a science.

_Acceptance is the final stage of… well, of something_. _Whatever._

I put a lid on my thoughts before Edward caught a whiff. He reads minds like a bloodhound traces a scent. Edward usually took no notice of what I was thinking, or so he said, but still I felt the need to guard my thoughts, just in case. For all I knew, Edward already knew my secret. But if he did, he never showed even the most nominal of signs. And neither would I. My poker face was one for the pros.

Bella's POV

I was almost relieved to be home after spending all day with the Cullen clan. I loved Edward, and his family (most of them) of course, but today I'd had too much of a good thing and was tired beyond belief. I made sure Charlie was fed and dragged myself up the stairs to my room. I was in desperate need of a shower. I pitched my purse and jacket on my bed and stepped out of my well-worn tennis shoes. My sock-covered feet slid easily across the hardwood floor to the hall closet that housed our towels. I carried one back to my room, grabbed a ragged pair of pajamas, and went to the bathroom. I tossed my stuff on the counter and turned on the faucet. As I waited for the water to heat up, I undressed myself, beginning with my socks and then working my way upwards. Finally, I cracked my neck and pulled my sweaty hair out of the baseball cap I hung on the back of the door. Then I stepped into the shower and sighed in relief as my muscles loosened in the steam. I took my time lathering up, and hoped that Charlie didn't need the bathroom any time soon.

I stayed in the shower until the hot water started to wane. I turned the water off, but stood beneath the shower head for a few minutes longer, forehead pressed against the cool tile wall. When I started to get cold, I wrung the water out of my hair and reached past the shower curtain for my towel.

Back in my room, I brushed out my damp, tangled hair, and settled into bed, reliving the day's events in my head until I fell sound asleep.

Rosalie's POV

I felt relieved, and simultaneously silly, when Bella left; relieved that I could unbarricade myself and silly that I barricaded myself to begin with. I understood that my actions were childish and ridiculous, but it seemed better to hide away and feign a bitch fit if that was the only way I could "behave" myself.

I marched over to the wall that was freshly decorated with a streak of paint, a streak that suspiciously matched the pieces of lamp littering the floor, and collected the broken bits of porcelain. I headed to the trash bin in the corner to drop the broken pieces in. Once my mess was cleaned up, I left the bedroom to see Emmett. I found him in the living room, duking it out with the Jasper and Edward on Guitar Hero. I leaned into the doorway without announcing myself and watched as Emmett finished a perfect run of his favorite song, on the video game's Expert setting, no less. Who'd've thought, back when vampires were simply creatures of dark alleys and bedtime stories, that _this _was the type of thing our vampire reflexes would be used for?

"Certainly not I," came Edward's riposte.

"Have I ever told you how obnoxious it is when you answer my thoughts, rather than allowing me to speak?"

"Occasionally. Usually you just _think_ that, too, which does nothing to dissuade me."

I rolled my eyes. Acting juvenile was nothing new to me today.

"Bite me," I directed to Edward, and to Emmett, "My turn."

I took the plastic guitar controller from around his neck, and proceeded to wipe the floor with his high score.


	3. Chapter 3

Bella's POV

I awoke the next morning to the sound of Charlie's whistling and the patter of rainfall. _Always _rainfall. When I first moved to Forks, I found the rain to be bothersome. Aside from slickening my already treacherous (to me, anyway) paths, the rain pounded on the roof and I could not sleep. Even now, I complained occasionally, but found that whenever I stayed with Renee, I could not sleep unless it rained. Unbelievably, the absence of rainfall bothered me more than its presence. It was as much a track on the soundtrack of my life as Edward's voice, or my lullaby, was.

It was a Sunday, a day that Charlie did not have to work. We would have breakfast together, courtesy of my meager egg-frying skills, and then Charlie would head to the "rez" to fish with the boys. I did not have much planned for the day. My room was in major need of a cleanup and the dirty laundry was stacked precariously above the edge of the hamper. My work was definitely cut out for me.

I was not sure what I would do after my chores were completed. I usually did not visit Edward on Sundays. It was my designated "catch-up-on-what-the-week-left-behind" day.

Rosalie's POV

It was Sunday. Even vampires took that day to relax. I was no exception. Thankfully, Edward was out hunting, preparing himself for more time with Bella. I would not have to walk on eggshells today, at least not until Edward returned. Even then, I would not have to maintain the façade that I hated Bella's guts, because to my knowledge, she would not be visiting today. I would only have to keep my thoughts clandestine. Without Bella there to distract him, Edward would be grouchier and more meddlesome than usual.

Normally, I too would have left the house and gone somewhere with Emmett to escape. Shopping, hiking, hunting, or something like that to keep us busy. Eternity left you with a lot of time to kill. This Sunday, though, Carlisle and Esme were gone to Isle Esme, Alice was shopping, and Emmett and Jasper were gone to buy car parts. The grease monkey in me wanted to tag along with Em and Jasper to make sure brains came before brawn; Emmett had a good idea of mechanics, but sometimes he would choose good looks and garish engine noise over good performance. The rest of me, however, wanted to enjoy having the house to myself. I could do whatever I wanted, all while being me. Not the bitchy, human hating me, but the real Rosalie, that one that not even Emmett knew; I could practice being the person that wanted to be with Bella.

Bella's POV

It only took two-and-a-half hours to complete my chores. That was a record time for me. It helped that I was not in the middle of some novel or another now. Usually, I would read between loads of laundry, and then become so absorbed in the book that I forgot I had something else I was supposed to be doing. Now though, the laundry was my focus. After loading the washer, throwing in some detergent, and adding fabric softener to the dispenser, I unloaded the dryer and folded the clothes that came from it. Then I took the clothes that I had just emptied from the washer, and tossed those into the dryer. When that was done, I bounded up the stairs to my room, and tidied up a little bit at a time. Then when the time came, I would go back downstairs and repeat the process. I had a system, and it worked.

Getting my chores done early was a good thing, true, but I could not help but almost wish that I had not been so efficient; now I had nothing to do! Charlie was still gone, and would be for a few more hours. I had no interest in watching TV, and it was raining too hard to do anything outdoors. I decided that I would visit Edward after all. From what he told me, he hunted on Sundays, preparing for school, and for our alone time, but I hoped he would be back by now. I left Charlie a note on the dining room table and grabbed a jacket. I locked the door and shut it behind me. Skidding down the steps, I narrowly avoided busting my butt, yet made it to my truck in one piece. I backed out of the driveway, and traveled the roads that would take me to the Cullen house.

Rosalie's POV

I was lounging on the couch, cheesily imagining what it would be like to hold Bella in my arms, when I heard the back door open. It then slammed, and bounced off the frame, swinging wide open again. It was a wonder the door did not break. At the sound, I jumped off the couch. I was certain that whoever was at the door was not someone I wanted to leave my back turned to. I proved myself correct when I saw that it was Edward at the door; he was seething, fists clenched at his sides.

"You're back early," I ventured, coming as close to panic as I had in a very long time, afraid that Edward had heard what I was thinking.

"Do not," he spat through clenched teeth as he edged closer to the living room.

"Don't what?"

"Play dumb."

"It is no secret that you doubt I am playing at anything, Edward," I said, the venom in my voice seeping into the conversation.

"True, Rosalie. But when it comes to the schoolgirl crush you have on my girlfriend, I am fairly sure you know full well what I am speaking of."

Damn. I had been found out. There was no point in hiding it any longer. Denial is just a river in Egypt.

"I do, indeed, but trust me, Eddie boy. You have nothing to worry your pretty face over. Bella is wrapped securely around your sparkly little finger."

"Yes. For now. However, if she ever finds out, I will make you regret it. "

His words chilled me, but I would not back down.

"You could not even begin to know how much I already regret. I doubt that your repercussions for telling Bella how I feel would be the final straw."

"The allegorical camel will not have to worry about straws breaking its back; I will take that honor myself." He was in my face now.

"God! Why, Edward? Why is it so horrible that I am in love with your girlfriend?" I was yelling now, ignoring the fact that Edward could hear what I had to say even if I were in the next room and whispering. "It's not like she would ever-"

"Rose, stop."

"What are you-" I faltered. Oh, God. I smelled freesias and human. Bella was here.

Bella's POV

I pulled my truck into an empty area at the end of the Cullens' long driveway. I checked my reflection in the rearview mirror and then opened my door. I swung my feet around and jumped down to the ground. I shut my door easily, because I hated the noise it made when it slammed. If trucks could emit sounds of pain, the sound of a slamming door would be a scream. I crunched through the gravel to the back door, and paused when I heard people shouting. It both puzzled and scared me. Vampires had no use for shouting. Something had to be wrong. I moved closer to the door, and found it standing wide open. That scared me even more. Why would they leave the door open? As I came to stand in the doorway, the voices became more distinct: Rosalie and Edward. More specifically, Edward threatening Rosalie. I had never heard him sound so vicious. Why would he-

"Why is it so horrible that I am in love with your girlfriend?" Rosalie shouted.

_What? _My heart jumped to my throat, and seemed to beat ninety miles per hour. Had I heard Rosalie correctly? That was impossible. Extremely unlikely, at least, if her attitude towards me was any indication.

_Could she really have said that she was in love with me?_

The arguing stopped abruptly. I hardly noticed; I was too busy trying to figure out what exactly I heard. Someone in the living room hissed, and then footsteps headed my way. I was still standing in the doorway, with a shocked expression on my face I am sure.

_Rosalie? In love with me? God, I hope this is not some sick trick Rosalie is playing to get back at Edward for something. No, it could not be. As malicious as she is, she would not put herself out there just to do something like this. She prefers to work in the background. That leaves two options: one, I misheard her, and two, I heard her just fine._ I was unsure which option I preferred.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N  
Short chapter, I know.  
Chapter 5 more than makes up for it, I promise.  
I love reviews as much as I love Bellalie, so keep 'em coming!**

* * *

Bella's POV

The days subsequent to the "incident" at the Cullen home were uncomfortable, to say the least. Ever since Edward realized that Rosalie's feelings did not repulse me, as he hoped they would, words between us were terse and infrequent. Edward and I continued to spend time together, and I knew that part of doing so was just to maintain the façade that everything was kosher in Edward & Bella Land. Things most definitely were not kosher. Edward became harder to reach and spent more time with his thoughts than with me, which bothered me less than it probably should have. I had some thinking of my own to do. I wished the situation were simpler, that I would know immediately what to say. However, that certainly was not the case, and I could not tell Edward what he wanted to hear. There was not an easy way out of this one.

An internal war, waged between conflicting pieces of my soul, kept my thoughts occupied. I was intuitive enough to know that Edward feared I would leave him. Part of me thought it would be his "just desserts." After all, he had left me once before. I would even one-up him by giving him an adequate explanation, something he had failed to do upon his departure. He would understand completely why I left him, even if he did not like it. Another part of me knew that it would not be that simple. I loved him, I truly did. It was not fair for me to discard Edward as though he was simply a temporary placeholder in my life. And what about Emmett? Why should he get the short end of the stick? _Maybe we could trade. I would have Rosalie, and Emmett could have Edward._ I cut the darkly amusing reverie short. I was unfortunately not in the mood to giggle. Yet another piece of me considered Rosalie. She had treated me horribly for so long, but it had obviously been just a ruse. What if Rose was the one I was meant for? I felt as though I might spontaneously combust out of sheer exhaustion.

I knew that I had to talk to both Edward and Rosalie. Edward would not like what I had to say, and would probably go to Denali to spend some time away from me. It would be easier for him to think there, away from his family, who were still in the dark. After Edward was gone, I would talk to Rosalie. I did not look forward to either conversation.

In biology, on the Friday following the episode at the Cullen home,I told Edward that I wanted him to stop by my house after school. He nodded, jaw tense, and then returned his attention to Mr. Molina's oh-so-fascinating lecture. I did the same, and did not meet Edward's deep onyx eyes again until the bell rang.

After school, I made my way to my truck, plagued only by Eric Yorkie, who teasingly sought my advice on whether a _Spartan Spirit_ editorial linking sun exposure and skin cancer would even really be pertinent in the Pacific Northwest. I brushed him off as quickly as I could, and navigated through throngs of teenagers and their cars. As I exited the parking lot, I spotted Edward at the side of the road, apparently waiting to follow me. _Well, he is asking for it now; he hates to go slow, but I am so not torturing my truck. _I could not figure out why he would do such a thing, maybe to avoid any similarity between this visit, and the one after my last birthday.

I glimpsed in the rearview mirror as Edward pulled into traffic right behind me. He looked unhappy, to say the least. I kept my eyes on the road all the way home. Charlie's cruiser was not in the driveway, so I figured it was safe to invite Edward into the house. I climbed out of my truck to see Edward already waiting at the front steps. I trudged along the path behind him, and climbed the steps. I fumbled the keys in my hand, nervous, but I finally managed to get the door unlocked and open. Edward shut the door and followed me into the kitchen, where I lay my book bag on the counter. Edward stood by the table, silently watching me.

I hopped onto the counter, legs dangling, and opened my mouth to speak. Before I had the chance to form any words, Edward was at my side, his lips crushing mine with as much strength as he dared to use. When he ended the kiss, he left his hands on either side of my face and his forehead pressed against mine.

"Bella, please. Just stop thinking about this so much. I do not want you to go talk to Rosalie, or to keep fighting with yourself over this. And please, do not keep me wondering if I will have to live without you again. I know I am no good for you, but tell me how Rosalie is any better. I will do whatever you want me to do. I will change everything about myself. Whatever you want. Just please,_ please _do not leave me." The pain in his subdued voice threatened to break my heart. I felt guiltier still when I heard his plea that I stay away from Rosalie, and realized that I would do no such thing.

"Edward, it just is not that easy."

"And why is that?"

"Because…," I did not know how to continue. "Because I am not sure what I want. I love you Edward, I really do, but this is not as open and shut as either of us would like it to be."

His eyes and hands fell from my face, but he maintained his closeness and said nothing.

"I'm sorry," I managed.

"I think I am going to go away for a little while. To think things over, you know. We both need our own space right now. Just… think about what I said, please, Bells," he paused and I knew that he would give anything to be able to read my mind right at that moment. "Goodbye, Bella."

I could only nod in return; I was trying not to cry. It hurt me to upset Edward the way I just had. I stayed perched as I heard the front door close behind Edward. Mere seconds later, the engine of his car sounded, and he was gone.

Rosalie's POV

It was almost a relief that the truth was out. I felt as though a marvelous weight had lifted itself from my shoulders, but the anxious pit that settled into my stomach soon smothered that bit of joy. I spent the days after the dispute trying to keep my distance from Edward. I could not imagine a single scenario in which it was a good idea to get anywhere near his teeth. I spent my time alternating between best- and worst-case scenarios. I obviously hoped that this whole scandal would end in my favor, but I kept myself prepared to handle the worst. Neither karma nor Lady Luck seemed to be interested in my personal victories.

I wondered when Bella and Edward would get through their inevitable exchange. I was ready to have Bella to myself, unless of course she dismissed my feelings and told Edward he had nothing to worry about. Then, I supposed, there would be no uncomfortable conversation to endure. That would be the only bright side to the less favorable, yet nonetheless possible, outcome.

Days after the skirmish, I was at home finishing the homework for my advanced Calculus class (even after twenty-something years, the work still took me a good six minutes to complete) when Edward breezed through the front door and up the stairs to Carlisle's study. He seemed to be in an impossibly surlier mood than usual. I assumed he had talked to Bella, and judging from his attitude, I guessed that the conversation had not gone well. Edward's soft knock resonated throughout the house, as did the quiet whoosh of air as Carlisle's door opened. I gleaned the gist of their conversation without even trying. I heard Edward tell Carlisle that he was headed to Denali for a few days, which proved my theory that Bella's words to Edward were less than reassuring. I could not help breathe a small smile of relief. Edward gave Carlisle no reason, but told him that everything was fine, and no one had any reason to be worried. Carlisle gave Edward the usual parental spiel about being careful and sent him downstairs to speak to Esme. She always hated to hear that a member of the family was leaving, no matter that it was only for a few days. I supposed it was just her maternal instinct, an attribute that had survived Esme's premature death. I heard Edward tell Esme that he would be gone for just a few days, and that he had already taken care of his classes. This bit of information surprised me. It seemed that I was not the only one with contingency plans in case the worst should occur. Esme had no reason to worry, however, Edward assured her. He would be back in a few days, and if his plans changed, he would be sure to call her right away to let her know. This appeased Esme, and she bade Edward goodbye. Without looking at me, he walked through the living room and back up the stairs to his room. Minutes later, he came back down the stairs, this time with a small leather suitcase and a stack of CDs.

"Tell Emmett and Jasper that I will not be joining them on their trip this weekend," he said to no one in particular. He refused to acknowledge my presence.

"Emmett and Jasper are out in the garage," I replied, also to no one in particular.

Edward paused at the door for a millisecond as I spoke. Then he made his exit, shutting the door easily behind him.

I turned my attention back to my tedious homework. It only got more boring as the years passed. I hoped that one day, America would go through another radical phase, and get rid of homework completely. It was true that I could "dazzle" my way out of any homework assignment, but I felt I was cheating the world enough with my immortality, and refrained from using my charm for petty things. Besides, it kept my mind busy, at least for a little while.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N  
Here comes the drama.  
Dun dun dun.**

Still don't own, please don't sue.

Hope you love it!

Bella's POV

Knowing that I had ignored Edward completely (it would not be the first time I had done so, and most likely would not be the last time), I knocked on the door of the Cullen home. Rosalie opened the door so abruptly that my second knock nearly landed on her face. She was breathless, in the human sense of the phrase. Rosalie silently motioned toward the living room. I walked past her to the den and perched on the arm of the couch. She followed just a moment later, eyes darting to me, the floor, and then to me again.

It was immensely strange to see Rosalie act so… vulnerable, unsure, and nervous. Those were the last words I would use to describe Rose, under the usual circumstances. These were not really the usual circumstances, though. Now, I could see what I took to be her true form, not her typical mask of disregard and scorn. I had to hand it to her, though; she certainly had fooled me for the past months.

"So…" I started, unsure of where to begin.

She smiled a quick smile.

"Um, I… Bella," she stopped again, chuckled, and rolled her eyes at her less than articulate attempt at speaking. "Sorry. I do not know why I am so nervous. I am _me_, for goodness' sake. I do not do nervous."

"Have you heard from Edward?"

"Carlisle did, yesterday. I am not certain, but I believe he is still in Denali. They think he is there to help out Tanya and her family."

"They bought that?"

"Apparently. Either that or they realize that the truth is nothing they want to be involved in, since it does not seem to be danger-ridden. If it was, they know he would have made sure they kept you out of harm's way, which obviously would have involved them. Since they were not involved, they assume that whatever is going on is not a big deal. They have always been very trusting of us. Esme and Carlisle know that Edward has a good head on his shoulders, even if it is immensely hard."

"That's good. I do not want to have to explain… _this _anytime soon."

"Same here. This is difficult enough between the three of us. Once we do… figure this out, I guess, it will be difficult to share even then. I am nothing less than thrilled that they do not know. I think Alice could already know, though. Maybe she saw it coming. I do not know. She never mentioned anything of the sort, but really. I mean, how would you casually mention something like that, if you had seen it?"

I nodded. Then it was my turn to ask a question.

"What about Emmett?"

Sadness briefly plagued Rosalie's flawless features.

"Emmett knows that Edward and I got into a fight, and that it concerns you, but as far as he knows, it is because Edward could no longer stand the way I was treating you. That is the story that the others were presented with; it is quite plausible, you must admit. Then, Edward went to Denali to help Tanya and her clan, coincidentally around the time that the tension between us came to a head. I told Emmett that I was going to invite you over to clear the air with you, and he got rid of Esme, Alice, and Jasper for the day. Carlisle is working, so that took care of itself."

I nodded.

Another awkward moment passed before I spoke.

"You know that he told me not to come?"

"Edward? Yeah. I know. Were you surprised?"

"A little, actually. I mean, it came out as more of a request, rather than a command. I think that he does not trust me."

"I would wager that it is me that he distrusts, not you."

"Maybe. I'm just a corruptible little human, after all."

Rosalie smirked. The next few moments were silent.

Rosalie's POV

Oh, how I detested uncomfortable silences. They were the bane of social interaction.

Part of me was ready to get down to the core of the tête-à-tête, and another part was scared to go anywhere near the "elephant in the room." Both Bella and I understood that we were here to discuss us. Neither of us seemed to have the courage to initiate that particular conversation. Realizing that delaying the conversation would not make it easier, I decided to get the ball rolling.

"Bella, we both know what we are really here to discuss. So, let's stop with this trivial _crap_, and really talk, huh?"

She nodded, biting her lip.

I wrung my hands, a nervous gesture that decades of being inhuman could not dissolve.

"So, for beginners, how much did you actually hear?"

"Um, I heard the part of the conversation that started with 'Why is it so horrible….'"

Bella blushed fiercely, and did not seem to be able to finish the sentence.

"Right before you inadvertently announced yourself, then."

"What do you-"

"We smelled you. Edward noticed it first; I was a little preoccupied with screaming in his face."

"Oh. Makes sense. I have never heard him sound so… malicious. It was kind of scary."

"He was just really upset about the whole thing, and I cannot blame him. Besides, I was not precisely attempting to pacify him. Edward and I both said some things that each of us probably should not have said, but this is not the first time Edward and I have butted heads. It probably will not be the last either. If he ever speaks to me again, that is."

"Rosalie, I'm sorry for coming in between you two. I mean…"

"Bella! It is not your fault. I mean, yes, you are the crux of the disagreement, but it is not as if you meant for this to happen. Do not blame yourself. Edward and I have never been the best of pals anyway."

"I know, but I still feel somewhat guilty," Bella said. A moment of silence passed before she spoke again, "Rose?"

"Yeah?" I looked at Bella expectantly.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I have to ask. You are not doing this to piss Edward off or something, are you? Because this is way too traumatic for a practical joke."

I almost chuckled at the overly serious expression shown on Bella's beautiful face.

"Trust me, Bella when I tell you that that is _so_ not the case. I may be a total bitch, but that type of sabotage is below me. Besides, baring my insides is not worth any amount of satisfaction that comes from riling Edward's feathers."

"I thought so, but I still needed to hear it. Just to make sure."

"Yeah. I promise it has nil to do with anyone other than you and me. Or perhaps merely me, but I sincerely hope that that is not how things transpire."

"Somebody involved is gonna walk away without a happy ending, aren't they?"

This was something I had agonized over for the longest time. If Bella chose to stay with Edward, I would find a way to get over her, heartbroken though it might leave me, and we could all move on with life. If things went as I hardly dared to hope, then Edward and Emmett would both be hurt and furious. I decided to hope for the best.

"Yes, Bella, but it does not have to be us. We could have a happy ending. Together."

Bella's POV

I was a little startled by Rosalie's last comment. Neither of us had yet been quite so bold in the conversation.

Rosalie must have noticed my surprise, but she continued nonetheless, "I am trying to be gentle here, because I do not want to scare you away. However, I am not going to stand here and tell you that you should stay with Edward and not ever give me a chance. I love you too much to lie to you, and we _both_ know that I am much too selfish and vain to give you up without a fight. I know that you love Edward, but you do not belong to him. If you ask me, you do not belong _with_ him, either, Bella. You and he are together for some reason that I have not yet been able to decipher. I know that he truly loves you, and you probably love him in return, but you are free to be with whomever you want. I do not care if it is me, him, or George-fucking-Clooney; it does not matter, so long as you are happy. I am not about to force you in either direction, but I do want you to know that the choice is _yours_. Think about what you want, about what is best for you. Look out for number one. Take your time. I have waited for you for a little while already, and I will wait all eternity if it means having a chance to make you happy, Bella." Rosalie sighed. I spoke while I had the chance, and the nerve.

"Rose. Rosalie, I..." I faltered, "I wish I could tell you what you want to hear, but I honestly cannot. I will tell you that this is not as unrequited as you think. On my first day at Forks, it was _you_ that made me ask about your family. Not Edward, but _you_." I paused there, and took in the mildly surprised expression on Rosalie's faultless face. I continued, "I needed to know you, to be around you. Then you started to treat me the way that you did, and so I gave up on you. Besides, you never seemed to be my biggest fan, and I could not stand to have _the_ most beautiful creature on Earth reject me, no matter how much I expected it. You are a formidable woman, vampireness aside! What could _I_ have offered someone like you, someone so perfect? I never came up with any good answer to that question. I realized then that I could have something special with Edward, and it would be easy, comfortable. He was a lonely soul, and I could see that. He needed someone, and I happened to be in the right place at the right time for him. We fit together, and it was easier for both of us to be with one another than to be alone, you know. I did come to love him though, and I still do love him. Maybe it is not the fieriest love affair that ever was, but..." I broke off there and shrugged, unsure of how to continue.

Rosalie's POV

"But it was easy," I finished for her, and then replied, "Why settle for what is _easy, _though, Bella? When did the best thing and the easiest thing become one? I wish that I had been honest with you sooner. I remember your first day at Forks. We all heard about Chief Swan's beloved Isabella, but none of us expected you to be such a hassle." I paused then and winked at Bella, trying to lighten the conversation. She cracked a smile, but looked as though she would rather have a root canal than turn this into a joke. "My family and I breezed into that cafeteria, and when I walked by you, I thought I was going to lose it right there. Your smell, your face, you in general. I knew I could not possibly stand a chance with you. I just assumed Edward had you going gaga. Therefore, without even giving us a chance, I hardened up, and decided to try to protect myself from being hurt by hurting you first and trying to convince myself that I was being stupid. I could not stop thinking about you, though. Still, you seemed happy, so I kept being… a bitch, hoping that you would stay away from me so that I might have some peace. It worked to an extent, since you kept your distance, but then I was in a constant state of paranoia, thinking about how Edward could figure me out at any second. It was so difficult to keep my mind off you, Bella. It nearly drove me crazy. Then last Sunday, Edward got back earlier than I expected, and my guard was down. He found out, and then you had to find out the way you did, for which I feel even worse. You deserve better than to be practically gossiped about," I said, swaying on my feet. Unlike Bella, I was perfectly comfortable standing in one place, but I did not want her to feel like she was talking to a statue or a wall. I took a moment to find the words for the feelings I was attempting to express. I stared at the floor, momentarily unable to meet her eyes. Then I found my courage, and walked towards her. I half expected her to back away from me, but she stood her ground. She did not even flinch when I slowly grasped her hand, though her heart beat quickened, almost imperceptibly. "I wish like crazy, Bella, that I had the power to go back and change everything. Imagine how we would be, now, Bella. Imagine how happy we would be, if I had just given it a chance. We could be great together." I looked at her now, expecting her to tell me that I had my chance, and had blown it, and that she and Edward were together for good. She had every right to say that, and more, but I hoped against hope that she would not.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Very short chapter, I know. I think you'll like it though. :)**

* * *

Bella's POV

Rosalie grabbed my hand as she spoke. A part of me wanted to pull away from her icy skin, but her touch was oddly comforting, and I could not bring myself to move.

"We could be great together," she finished, and I knew her words to be true, and had known for a long time.

"I know we could, Rose, but what if that ship has sailed?" I asked. "What if it does not work out, and we both end up alone?" The thought of that scared me. Better to have loved and have lost than never to have loved at all? Doubtful. Would it not be better to be with someone you knew would love you forever than to risk it all for someone who might just be more interested in the chase?

Rose is not like that, my mind argued. And she really was not. I knew this was the real deal, but still, I could not just proclaim my love for Rosalie and have my way with her on the Cullens' living room floor.

My attention was brought back to the conversation as Rosalie said something.

"Then at least we will have given it a shot, Bella! That has to be better than not ever knowing!"

"Does it?"

Rosalie's POV

Bella's words left me speechless. Our hands dropped, and she paced away from me as she spoke.

"Does it really?" she asked, staring up at the ceiling with her back turned to me. "Because what happens when I break Edward's heart and decide to be with you, and then you lose interest? What happens when the interesting part is over?"

It hurt me that Bella thought I could do such a thing to hurt her, but I understood. No one wanted to be left out in the rain, so to speak. I took a step towards her, but decided it would be best to let her have her little bit of space.

"The interesting part will never be over, Bella. There are always going to be things to learn about one another, and things to see together. It might get a little bit dull every once in a while, but that is a small price to pay for happiness, is it not?"

Bella was walking back towards me now, hands in her back pockets.

"I know," she said, "and I am sorry. I know you would never just ditch me or something. I just- this is difficult for me. I have been with Edward for so long, and I love him, I really do."

Bella's voice faltered. She reached for my hand with hers and then stared at the two intertwined.

"But I think I love you more."

Bella's POV

"But I think I love you more."

I could not believe how stressful it was just to say those three little words. Seven, if you wanted to get technical, but only three of them really counted for something. Those three were the hardest to say, to admit, but I knew it was now or never. My choice was clear. I at least had to give life and love with Rosalie a shot! That was what I truly wanted, I realized. She was what I truly wanted. Maybe it was the fact that I finally got the words out and saw "the light," or maybe I had just finally cracked beneath all the stress. Either way, I had never been more certain of anything in my life. That certainty gave me the gumption to say what I needed to say. And it also gave me the chutzpah to do what I was about to do, something I had been waiting to do for a long time.

I took a step forward, closing most of the distance between Rosalie and I. My heart began to beat rapidly as my shaking hand reached up to brush Rosalie's perfect cold cheek.


	7. Chapter 7

Untouched, Ch. 7

Rosalie's POV

My breath ceased as Bella's warmth swept across my eternally cold skin. Had my heart not stopped beating so long ago, I know it would have skipped four beats, at least. Each of the day's nagging thoughts dissipated, all at the simple touch of this human being. I savored the sensation, having not felt such warmth for so long. With a regretful sigh, I reached for Bella's hand as it brushed my cheek, and uttered the two words I most hated to say.

"Bella, stop."

She looked hurt and taken aback. I hastened to explain myself as an ardent blush rose in her cheeks.

"Bella, I am sorry, but we cannot do this right now. I'm not at my best at this moment. So much has happened lately that I scarcely know up from down, and I will not endanger you with my current lack of restraint. Also, I doubt that either one of us is certain that you will not regret this later, for some reason or another. You know that we still have a long way to go, and there will be many difficult decisions that each of us must make, together and otherwise."

Bella took a step back, and my hand dropped from hers.

"You're right," she spoke, though her eyes and tone of voice each betrayed her acquiescent words. I had to make her see that waiting was the best option.

Bella's POV

My heart sank as Rosalie directed me to stop, even though I could hear the regret in her voice. I felt my face heat up, and I could not help but be more than a little frustrated. It had taken me so long to gather the courage to even _imagine_ kissing Rosalie, much less to actually move to do so. I wanted desperately to feel her lips against mine. Not for the cold sensation, because I knew that from Edward already, but just to touch her. I longed to feel her mouth and body pressed against me, to feel in her unyielding granite skin a softness that Edward lacked. I also knew that one kiss would clear my mind of everything the past week hurled toward me, and the thought of that blissful emptiness was nearly temptation enough to disregard her request.

"Please do not be mad. It's just that we are both technically in other relationships, and I know how important trust is to you, as ironic as that may seem to be. I mean, we have obviously overstepped some boundaries here, but I know it still matters to you. It is not that I do not want this, because I am telling you honestly that I want nothing more. And to that effect, I swear to you, here and now, that every single one of my kisses from now until forever belongs to you. I just do not think that now is the best time to begin delivering on that promise."

Her words eased the pain of such a blunt rejection, and the truths within them rang loud and clear in my head. Even now, after a love confession and an almost kiss, I still hated the idea of hurting Edward, no matter that my own happiness was at stake.

Rosalie's POV

Although I knew Bella less than I liked to admit, I could imagine the feelings and thoughts running through her mind. She would still be hurting from my earlier words, and for that I felt horrible, but she would understand my reasoning. She would also feel guilty for hurting Edward, putting others before herself, as always. I hoped she would acknowledge that she deserved happiness as much as Edward did, but my lack of special ability left me without a way to know for certain what she felt. Then again, not even the Volturi had been able to reach Bella, mentally. It seemed that I would have to rely on old-fashioned communication.

"Bella, please, tell me what you are thinking."

She sighed, and I could almost hear the tears pooling in her eyes, though she was no longer facing me.

"I am thinking the same thing I have been thinking all day: someone is going to walk away from this with a broken heart. Edward is going to walk away from this with a broken heart." Bella's voice was rising slowly, and at the same time becoming more ragged. She turned to me. "How, Rose, do I tell Edward that I have always been in love with his sister, and that I only fell in love with him because it was the most logical thing to do? What words do you use for something like that?" Her last words came out as a whispered sort of sob. "Are there even words for that degree of betrayal?"

"It is not a betrayal if you are doing what makes you happy. Not what makes puts you ahead, or benefits you superficially. If he loves you, he will want you to be happy."

Bella's cheeks glistened with tears. I hated to see her cry, but nonetheless continued. She needed to know that it was not only Edward's happiness that mattered. "I know that you hate to hurt him, Bella, but he will not be hurt forever. You may never be close to him again, but he will forgive you. What worries me is that you may not forgive yourself, Bella. You worry so much about upsetting other people that you forget to take care of what you want. What if, six months, twelve months, twelve years, from now, Edward has forgiven you, and perhaps found happiness elsewhere, yet you are still stuck on that look on his face when you told him you no longer wanted to be with him? Where will that leave me? No matter how much Edward dislikes it, Bella, he will forgive you. It may take a long time and you might feel horrible for a little while, but he will. Like I said, he loves you. You know he wants you to be happy. The thing is that you have to want the same for yourself."

I wanted so badly to wipe the tears from Bella's face, and to hold her close until she feared nothing. Instead, I gave her some space and let my words sink in. I only hoped that she had listened, and would give her own happiness a shot.


	8. Chapter 8

Bella's POV

Rosalie asked me to tell her what I was thinking, and I voiced my thoughts as best I could. My last words came out as a whisper, and there was no hiding the sob that came with it. "Are there even words for that degree of betrayal?"

She told me that Edward would forgive me, kept telling me that I needed to forgive myself and everything else would fall into place.

I hated to cry in front of someone, and even though Rosalie was not just someone, I still could not help but turn away again as soon as she was through speaking. I was stressed to the point of breaking. I had to let it all out somehow. Hands on my hips, I bit my lip and took a deep breath, trying to control my meltdown as much as possible. I tried to remember what little I had learned about meditating from Renee's yoga phase. Nothing came to mind, so I gave up on figuring it out and turned back to face Rosalie once again. She had not moved at all, as far as I could tell. If I was not already used to such stillness from vampires, it would have been a bit unsettling.

She continued to stand there, just watching me. Then she spoke.

"You have to talk to him, Bella. He should be back by next weekend. I will get rid of everyone the way Emmett did today, and you will meet Edward here. You will talk to him, and everything will be fine. I promise."

I nodded.

"Yeah. It will. I hope so anyway."

I managed a quick smile.

"Listen, Rose. I am really glad we talked, but I need some time to… process things, or whatever you want to call it."

"Definitely."

Rosalie's POV

Bella was getting ready to leave. I could not blame her. Even I was beginning to get exhausted. I was not used to feeling so strung out. I needed some peace and quiet and a good, challenging hunt.

She walked over to the couch, and leaned over to pick up her bag and jacket. She stayed that way for a moment, staring at the couch, before saying, "Rose, you have to talk to Emmett, too."

I felt my face fall. I knew I had to talk to Emmett. I just hated to be reminded that I was going to have to devastate the man that I had taken to be the love of my life for so long.

"I know."

"And, Rose? You will be fine, too, I promise. If I can do it, you definitely can."

I chuckled.

"Thanks, but don't be so quick to discount yourself. You are pretty fierce, for a human anyway."

She laughed.

"Well, I do not know about that yet. But we shall see."

"Bye, Bella."

"G'bye, Rose."

I watched her as she struggled into her jacket and walked out of the house, and waited until her truck left the driveway. Then I grabbed my cell phone, and called Emmett.

"Hey, babe. I really need a hunt. Yeah. Okay. I will meet you out there in about thirty minutes. Hey, Em, we really need to talk afterwards, so if Jasper wants to go ahead and make some kind of plans with Alice that would be great. Well, it kind of is serious. Very serious, actually. No, we will talk about it later. Okay. Bye."

That bit of mild unpleasantness over with, I bounded up the stairs and changed into my 'lucky hunting clothes.' I was not due to meet Emmett for another twenty-nine minutes, so I settled onto the couch and tried to think of what I would say to Emmett. I was always blunt with him, so initiating the conversation would be no problem. Telling him that I loved 'some human' more than him and that I was leaving him to be with said human? That would not be so simple. He would be hurt. More than hurt. Devastated, even. I was not sure I could take the pain I would see in those big, baby boy eyes of his. I thought of Bella, though, and that cemented my will.

_Do it for Bella. No problem._

_But, what about Emmett?_

_Like you told Bella about Edward, he will forgive you for just wanting to be happy. _

_But I'm happy with Emmett._

_As happy as you would be with Bella?_

_Damn. _I was waging arguments in my head. I really needed to get out. I decided to leave early. If I drove the legal speed limit, I might actually make it on time.

Bella's POV

I left the Cullen house hastily, but without being rude. I needed to breathe, and found that I could do so more easily in my own quarters. Even being in my truck had already done some good for my nerves. I turned the radio up, and found a song that I thought I could stand, something brainless and carefree. Eventually, though, it began to grate on my nerves, and I switched the radio back off. I rolled down my window, noted that the squeal was getting worse, and opted for the sound of the frigid wind rushing around the truck.

I sped the truck up, hoping to get home as quickly as I could. I told Charlie to head to the Rez as soon as he got off duty, and to bring back some fish for dinner. Any time I promised fish for dinner, Charlie curled himself even tighter around my little finger. Besides, when would Charlie ever miss a chance to fish with his boys on the Rez, and then watch some game or another on TV? If there ever came a day when Charlie turned down his male bonding rituals, I would know that something was bad wrong.

Trying to ignore the noise my truck was emitting, I kept pushing forward. I was almost back to the house when my cell rang. I pulled over (listening to stories of grisly accidents your father has seen first hand makes you realize how dangerous not paying attention can be) and rolled up the window with one hand while digging through my bag with the other. I found the phone, buried at the bottom, as always.

_Edward._

My pulse quickened. I flipped the phone open and pressed the little green button.

"Hello?"

"You really have to clean out your purse."

"Edward. I didn't expect to hear from you."

"Rosalie called Tanya, who passed a message along saying that you needed to talk to me. I can be there in a couple of hours."

"I'm really exhausted today. How is tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow is fine, Bella. I-"

Edward faltered. These crazy vampires were going all out of character on me.

"What, Edward?" I asked honestly, wondering what words had caused him to stumble.

"Nothing. I will see you tomorrow. Ten will work for you, right?"

"Ten is fine. See you then."

I did not hang up immediately. I waited to see if Edward would say anything else. I waited to see if I felt the urge to say something else. The only sound I heard was that of Edward disconnecting the call. Tomorrow was Sunday. Most of the Cullens would be out anyway, and Rosalie would take care of the rest of them.

Rosalie's POV

"Emmett, it really is not you."

"Really? _How_ is it not me, Rosalie?"

"How? I will tell you how. I fell in love with someone else. That is how. If you had been any different, it still would have happened. And in some ways I am sorry, _so _sorry, that it did happen, because I do love you, Emmett. I always have, and I always will. But not in the same way I love her."

"So it all was an act, then? You were just playing some kind of game to keep your secret safe?"

"Basically, yes. I never snuck off to meet up with her or anything, if that's what you suspect. Be mad at me all you want. Not yourself, not Bella, but me. I am the one who fell in love with someone else."

"Why?"

"Because I want to be happy, Emmett! Yes, I am happy with you and we are happy together, but not like we should be. We both deserve to find real happiness. Not convenience, but happiness. Forgive the cliché, but what we had was good while it lasted, and now it is over."

"Just like that, it's over?"

"Just like that."

I stood there in the bedroom, no less than an hour after hunting, and no more than twenty minutes after I told Emmett my secret. My arms were crossed over my chest. Emmett headed for the door, freshly packed duffel bag in hand. As he slammed the door behind him, I felt a tightening in my chest. If I could have cried, I would have then. I would have sobbed and sobbed as I slumped to my knees. I stayed there, kneeling on the floor until I heard Esme's usual knock on the door.

I got quickly to my feet and opened the door for her. Esme took my hand and led me to the bed, where she sat beside me. I slumped forward, elbows on my knees, and she placed her arm around my shoulders.

"I think it is time you tell me what is really going on."

"You really don't know?"

"Well, as soon as Emmett left, Carlisle called Edward, and got most of the story from him, but I want to hear it from you."

"How did you know something was not right? Besides the fight."

"Well, prior to overhearing you and Emmett, we were not sure what was going on between you kids. We knew that Edward was not going to Denali just to help Tanya out, because his story was a little too airtight."

"Even Bella was surprised you guys bought that story."

"Talk to me, Rose. Tell me everything." She swept the hair out of my face, and tilted my chin so that I was looking at her.

"I am in love with her, Esme," I could not help but enjoy the gleeful sensation that coursed through me when I said the next words, "She is in love with me, too. And even throughout this whole mess, that fact makes me happy. She makes me happy, Es. She makes me truly happy. And even if she is just some human to Emmett, or to any of you, she is everything to me."

Esme was smiling. I had prayed that she and Carlisle could forgive me for destroying their family, in a sense. However, I did not grow accustomed to the relief I felt. The tribulations were far from over. I had talked to Emmett, but Bella had yet to talk to Edward. Eventually, I had to talk to Edward, too.

_Well, that will be a frigging cake walk, _I thought sarcastically. It occurred to me that hurting Emmett should have been more upsetting than the thought of talking to Edward, and in a way it was. Yet, I had not dreaded the conversation with Emmett nearly as much. Perhaps it was because I knew that Emmett would forgive me, and move on with his own life. We would be able to come out of this with some sort of friendship, even if it was an unstable one to begin with. Edward and I, though, always had clashed, and definitely would continue to do so. I wanted to change that for Bella's benefit, because I knew she would want to see Edward again. It would be uncomfortable for her to be stuck in the tension between Edward and me. I had to do my best to try and fix things for him, or at least let him know that I wanted his forgiveness.

My reverie was interrupted by Esme's voice.

"You know you will have to talk to Edward. If I were you, I would get it over with tonight, as soon as he gets home."

"Sorry, what was that? I was busy acting out the worst case scenario in my head. Lucky for you, you will still have one daughter at the end, as long as Alice stays away from Edward's teeth."

She laughed.

"Do not be ridiculous. Edward would never hurt you. I am not saying that he will not want to hurt you, but I refuse to let it get physical between two of the people I love most in life. He will not hurt you and you will not hurt him. And that, young lady, is an order."

I smiled and nodded, faking a salute. "Yes, ma'am."

Esme patted my back reassuringly and hugged me to her. Then she rose from the bed and spoke, "Okay, Rose. I'm going to leave you alone now. Don't worry yourself too much. Everything will work out, okay?"

"'Kay. Send Edward up when he gets here."

"I will. I love you, Rosalie."

"Love you, too."

Bella's POV

I was anxious to know how things were going with Rose and Emmett. I hoped that things were going as well as could be expected in a situation like this.

_Actually, do situations like this occur often enough that parts of it are expected? Maybe we should start a support group, make t-shirts, and sell brownies._

I expected to dread tomorrow's talk with Edward, but the more I thought about it, I realized that I dreaded it less. Maybe it was because I was no longer plagued with indecision. Maybe it was because I had Rosalie's reassurance, or maybe it was just because I knew that things really would be alright after all.

Rosalie's POV

I was lying on my bed when Edward knocked on the door.

"Come in."

"What are you doing in here?"

"Fighting off a migraine. What about you?"

"Fighting off homicidal urges. Vampires do not get headaches."

"Whatever."

I sat up and swung my feet to the floor.

"Listen, Edward. You and I both know that I can sit here and apologize until the thirteenth World War begins, but will it really make any difference?"

"I do not know. Try apologizing and find out."

"I am sorry."

"For…?"

Fine. I deserved this and more. I would let him have his fun.

"I am sorry for lying to you, and for keeping a secret from you."

"That is it?"

"Yeah, Eddie Boy, that is it. Those are the only things I have done that were wrong. I was minding my own business then, and still have not laid a finger on Bella. If not for your freaky little mind-reading mojo, I would still be minding my own business. And I am sure as hell not apologizing for falling in love with Bella. You did the same thing, so you should understand where I am coming from."

"You are right."

"What happened to Mr. In-My-Face from last weekend?"

"Driving on isolated Alaskan roads at illegal speeds and avoiding you for a week both do a soul good. I apologize for getting in your face. It was brash, rude, and unnecessary."

I wondered if Edward and I would ever be able to have a conversation that did not involve insults or stiff formalities.

"Apology accepted. Now if you will excuse me, I need to get my beauty sleep."

"See you in a century or so, then."

"We are so not back to making jokes, Edward. Especially not on a day like today has been. Out. Now."

How could he be so cavalier? I wondered. Maybe it was because he had not yet spoken to Bella. Even taking that into consideration, I still did not understand how he could be so aloof. Maybe it was part of his process. Who knew when it came to Edward? Articulate though he may be, he certainly was difficult to understand at times. I just hoped that tomorrow went well, for him and Bella both.

"I am leaving, Rose."

"Good. I said get out of my room."

"I mean for good. Leaving this house."

"Edward, you can't. It will break Esme's heart."

"I will be back to visit. I just cannot live here while you and Bella are together."

He stumbled on the last word.

"How do you know she has not chosen you?"

"Rose, don't. It is no secret anymore. I realize that I may have missed some signs along the way, from you and Bella alike. She would be stupid to not realize that you will make her happier than I can."

"Thank you, Edward."

I fought the urge to embrace him, and won. It was too soon.

"Just be careful, Edward, wherever you go. For Esme's sake. And Bella's. They both love you, you know."

"Good night, Rose."

"Good night."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: This has actually been one of my favorite chapters to write. Mostly, I think, it is because of the song I used, "Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground" by Willie Nelson. It is pretty much my new favorite song. Another reason is that I did not want to make Edward out to be a total ass, and I think I succeeded. Sorry if he seems to be lacking a backbone, or if it seems too easy to you, but I don't think that it's too far OOC. And besides, this story is all about picking up on the lesser character traits, if you know what I mean. If you still feel it is lacking the drama: re-read the earlier chapters. SO. Much. Drama.**

**Also, I was missing an A/N yesterday, because my internet use is kind of sporadic, and I was pressed for time. So, I just wanted to say that Chapter 8 was the LONGEST CHAPTER in this story. Longest chapter I've ever written, period. (Except for the Supernatural story 'Angels & Devils,' which is not exactly broken into chapters.) So, yay! I wrote Chapters 8 & 9 on the same night. I was listening to the song as I was writing Chapter 8, and then inspiration just struck, so I opened up another page, and thus Chapter 9 was born. Anywho, hope you like it as much as I do. Thanks for reading!**

Bella's POV

Today was the day. I had gotten up a little earlier than necessary in order to calm my nerves. I took my time showering and dressing, and cooked some real breakfast instead of grabbing a bowl of cereal. When I found nothing else that I could kill time doing, I decided to head to Edward's. Because I left home so early, I allowed my truck to carry me along at a leisurely pace. I owed the truck that much for the strain I put on it yesterday. I thought that the pace had not been leisurely enough as I saw the Cullen driveway approaching. My stomach was doing somersaults as I pulled into the driveway and up to the house. I cut the truck off, and took a deep breath. I knew I was being overly dramatic, but it seemed neccessary to not freak out.

As I got out of my truck and swung the door gently shut, I heard the strains of an old Willie Nelson song floating from Edward's open bedroom window. Edward only listened to Willie when he was in his most despondent of moods. On the bright side, this meant he would probably be in no mood to fight. On the negative side, his melancholy would only add to my guilt.

Edward's voice drifted out of his window, and intermingled with the slow tune.

_If you had not have fallen, I would not have found you…_

"You're early. The door is unlocked," he called. "Come on up."

I opened the door to the Cullen home, and then shut it behind me. I took off my jacket, making sure the truck keys were still in the pocket, and placed the jacket on the coat rack. I made it through the rest of the house and crested the stairs without incident. Edward's door was open, but still I knocked lightly on the doorframe.

Edward was sitting on the floor, leafing through an old journal, one of many dotting the impeccably white carpet of his room. He looked up at me with dark golden eyes as I entered. I had no idea what to say to him, or how to begin. As I stood there in his room, trying to remember the words I had practiced earlier, I looked around the normally tidy room. Today, it was dotted with cardboard boxes. The walls and shelves were emptier than last time I had been in this room.

Edward noticed my wandering eyes and stood up and began walking toward me. He held his hand out, waiting for me to place mine into it.

"Dance with me," he said.

"Edward-"

"I know, Bella, I know. Just dance with me, one last time. Please."

I placed my hand into his, and we began a slow, familiar sway across his room.

_I knew someday that you would fly away…_

"I expected you to be angry."

"I was angry, Bella. I _am_ angry. But there is nothing I can do to change your mind. That is part of the reason I went to Denali. I refused to let my anger get the best of me, especially since it would make no difference either way. I did not expect you to stay away from her, no matter how much I willed you to do so."

I felt a little ashamed with the way he said those last words, but he had a right to be upset. I was leaving him. For his sister. Of whom he was not the biggest fan to begin with.

_For love's the greatest healer to be found…_

He continued as we made our way toward his window, dodging half-empty boxes as we danced a final time. His words were coming slowly, as if he were thinking them for the first time. There was a sad half-smile sitting on his face the entire time, and I realized then just how much I would miss Edward. It was worth it, I reminded myself, but at the same time I knew I would always feel a little guilty, especially if Edward never again found true love.

"I knew you would not, or could not, perhaps, stay away from her. I have always known, Bella. Well, not always, but for a long time. At first, it was because you would get quiet whenever I mentioned her rudeness. I thought that I was just being silly or paranoid, but then I started to watch you every time you looked at Rosalie. I never saw anything on your face besides this aching sort of hurt. Not the kind of hurt you show when some quasi-stranger is rude to you. It was the kind of hurt that comes from knowing that the one person you most want to be with wants nothing to do with you. I know that look well, Bella, because the same one was on my face as soon as you realized you had a chance with Rosalie after all. I must admit, I felt rather foolish for not realizing earlier that your feelings were not unrequited, but Rosalie has been around me for a very long time, and she knows the way my mind works, how to hide things from me. I guess she planned to keep it a secret forever, but…." He trailed off there, and left the room quiet but for the music.

_So leave me if you need to…_

I broke the silence first.

"You're leaving. Where are you going to go?"

"I have not quite figured that one out for myself yet. There is a spot in Denali for me, whenever I need it, and the same here, but I think I am going to do some traveling first. The world has changed since I have last been around it."

Another moment passed as we danced silently around the spacious bedroom. The only noise came from the strumming of guitar strings.

"I really am sorry. I do love you, Edward. I hope you know that."

He nodded almost imperceptibly, and was silent for a moment.

_So fly on, fly on past the speed of sound. I'd rather see you up than see you down._

"But you love Rosalie more. I understand.... Well, we all know how this story ends. You find out that Rosalie loves you too, and you realize that the chance you never had, and thought you would never get, is right here in front of you."

We had stopped moving now, and just stood in one spot, still intertwined. It was familiar to me, being back in Edward's arms, but I was saddened to realize that it no longer held the same magic as it once had. He leaned down, and planted a small kiss on my forehead as he whispered,

"You would be a fool if you let that chance slip away."

_So leave me if you need to. I will still remember._

_Angel flying too close to the ground._

**A/N: Also, thanks for the reviews. I will be replying to them ASAP. The story is almost complete now, so savor it while you can! Reviews = better than chocolate :-D Leave me one, and I'll like you forever.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:**** And the moment you've all been waiting for.... will be here shortly. Patience is a virtue, people. :P **

**Anyway, hope you looooove this chapter. :)**

Rosalie's POV

I was waiting in Bella's driveway as she returned from my home. I got out of my car as she pulled into the driveway, and met her on the stairs to her house. It was evident that she had been crying.

Bella wordlessly opened the door and motioned for me to walk in. She followed. She walked into the kitchen and stood in front of the sink, staring out of the window. I stood by the table, unsure of what to say. I saw Bella's shoulders begin to shake.

"Bella, what is it?" I asked, walking over to her. I grasped her gently by the shoulders and turned her to face me.

"He's leaving, Rose, and it's my fault. Esme's going to be devastated," she tearfully replied.

"Bella, honey, it is not your fault. Edward never does anything that he does not want to do. And Esme completely understands. It is not as if Edward is leaving never to return. He just wants to get away for a while."

"Still, it just is not fair. I never wanted to hurt anybody, Rose. I just wanted us to be happy. I didn't mean to ruin things."

Bella cried harder, and I pulled her close to me. With one hand, I caressed her upper back, and with the other hand I cradled her head against my shoulder and stroked her hair.

"Everything is going to be alright. You did not do anything wrong, Bella. Nothing is ruined. A couple of people are unhappy, but neither of them is mad at you and you and I can be together now. You should be as happy as I am, Bell."

I untangled my hand from Bella's hair and moved my other hand from her shoulders to the small of her back. Her head lifted from my shoulder and she took a small step closer, closing every bit of the distance between us. I brought my hand to the side of her face and pushed the hair out of her eyes. She bit her lip in a nervous gesture that I found adorable.

Bella's POV

I bit my lip, an impossible-to-break habit that showed up when I was stressed, or as in this case, nervous. Rosalie's lips were mere inches away, and they were mine for the taking. I closed my eyes, tilted my head to the side, and leaned towards Rosalie, while at the same time grabbing her hips and pulling her impossibly closer. After only a second of hesitation, our lips met softly. It was perfect. My exhaustion was alleviated, my heart was pounding, and I was absolutely elated.

Although Rosalie was nowhere near careless, there was no hesitance in her movements. Our mouths, one fire and one ice, moved together as though they were made to do so, slowly at first, but then with a building fervor. Hands were tangled in hair, and it was difficult to tell where one body ended and the other began. Somewhere in that moment, I realized that Rosalie was the one for me, and I for her.

We were interrupted by an obviously forced cough. I hated to come back into the real world after spending what seemed like forever in Rosalie's arm. Since we were obviously no longer alone, Rosalie and I quickly separated ourselves from one another.

"Bella, you, uh, want to explain something to me?"

"Um, yeah, Dad."

Charlie stood in the entrance to the kitchen, a third of a six pack in hand, looking awfully confused, angry, and embarrassed all at once. He looked at me once as he spoke, and spent the rest of the time looking anywhere and everywhere else.

I crossed the kitchen to where Charlie stood and removed the beers from his hand. I then thought better of taking both away, and handed one bottle back to him. Then I grabbed his free hand and pulled him to the living room as I spoke to Rosalie.

"Could you excuse us a minute, Rose? And put that other beer in the fridge please, if you don't mind."

I led Charlie to his favorite living room chair and knelt on the floor beside him after he was settled.

"You see, Dad, Edward and I broke up."

"So I figured. When?"

"Officially? This morning." Before Charlie gave me his patented look of mild disdain, I quickly elaborated. "But technically it was last week."

"And you failed to mention this because….?"

"Well, like I said, it was not official until this morning, and it seemed mean to get your hopes up.

"Hardy har har. So how does Rosalie Hale play into this?"

"She is kind of the reason Edward and I broke up."

"Explain."

"Honestly, Dad, I was in love with Rosalie all along, but things just sort of happened with Edward. And then Rose was with Emmett, and there were mixed signals, and.... The point is, Rosalie and I are together now. Like together, together."

"All right, then. I'll respect it. I can't say that I really understand what happened, but I also can't say that I want to. Whomever makes you happy, Bells."

"Thanks, Dad."

"Yeah. Oh, Bella? I don't care who you are with; no more making out in my kitchen."

My blush, which was just beginning to go away, returned full-force.

"Yeah. Sorry about that, Dad. I didn't expect you to be back so early."

"Irrelevant. Don't make out, period, and you will have no reason to worry about when I get home."

Charlie was such a stereotypical father sometimes. I loved it, and smiled at his comment.

"Sure thing, Dad."

Saying a silent prayer of thanks for such a laid-back father, I got to my feet and loped quickly back to the kitchen, where I found Rosalie waiting. She was perched on the counter, and I could tell she was amused by what she had overheard.

"Well, no more making out for us, I guess," she whispered.

"I think that was more of a suggestion than an order."

"You had better hope so. I would hate to get you in trouble with Charlie."

"As long as we steer clear of the kitchen, I think we will be okay."

She smiled, but then asked a serious question.

"So, does this mean that you and I are officially an 'us'?"

"Yeah. I think so," I said with a smile. "What do you say we get out of here?"

"Sounds great."

"Let me go change real quick. I will be right back."

I stood on my toes to reach Rosalie where she sat, and planted a quick kiss on her lips. Then I bolted up to my room to change, feeling lighter than I had in days.

Rosalie's POV

Bella went upstairs to change her clothes while I headed to the living room. I felt obligated to speak to Charlie. After all, I was now dating his daughter.

As I walked into the living room, I made my footsteps louder than necessary so that Charlie would know I was headed his way. Even with that gesture, Charlie still appeared to be absorbed in the game on TV, yet he at least acknowledged my presence.

"Rosalie."

"Charlie."

He looked at me then and seemed almost offended.

"You told me to call you Charlie a long time ago," I stated.

"That was before you were dating my one and only daughter."

"Believe me, I am still getting used to that fact, too. Would you prefer that I call you Chief Swan?"

"No," he said begrudgingly. "Charlie is fine. Sit."

I did sit, perching on the edge of the couch.

"I apologize for what you saw. This is your house, and I should not have broken your rules."

"I never even told you the rules. Never thought I would need to, actually. Now you know, though, so no more freebies. Besides, you crazy kids are only young once, so what the hell."

_Ha!_ I thought. _If only you knew, Chuckles, just how long my youth had lasted._

"Thank you, Charlie. So, does this mean you approve?"

"I have never had any reason to dislike you, Rosalie, and as long as Bella is happy, that will not change."

"Yes sir. I will do my best. Thank you, again."

He half-waved his hand, engrossed once more in the ball game on TV.

I stood to exit and heard Bella approaching. I stood by the staircase as she descended. She looked absolutely beautiful, as always, and I would be proud to have her on my arm, no matter where we went.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:****Haven't used my disclaimer in a while, so here it goes, just in case: Me no own. You no sue. KTHXBAI.**

**Also, KISSING WHILE DRIVING IS NOT RECOMMENDED. Driving is SRS BSNS. Even if there is a hot vampire/werewolf/human in the mix. (No, there are no werewolves/shape shifters in this chapter, or any other, as far as I know. Just sayin': don't make out while driving, because then you might become dead, and be unable to read/review this story. Bad idea, folks.)**

**Anyway, ENJOY. :-)**

Untouched, Ch. 11

Bella's POV

Rosalie and I decided to get out of Forks for awhile. With not many other options, we chose to drive to Port Angeles and do some shopping. I said goodbye to Charlie and told him that I would call him when we were on our way back. Luckily, tomorrow was a school holiday, and besides a little bit of studying, my day was free.

As I sat in the passenger seat of Rosalie's shiny red Bimmer, music blaring, I thought again of that kiss, and how amazing it had been. No kiss I had ever even imagined set me on fire the way this one had. Every time I came into contact with Rose's smooth, icy skin, the world disappeared. When she held me, I feared nothing, and it was as though the world was put here just to hold us. And when we kissed, I wanted more of her.

I reached over and grabbed one of Rosalie's hands from the steering wheel. It was not as though she needed both to drive anyway. I closed the hand in both of mine and just held on. The coolness of her skin still surprised me, but it was not an uncomfortable cold.

"So where are we headed?" I asked.

"I thought we could go shopping, and then maybe grab some dinner. For you, anyway."

"Shopping for anything in particular, or just killing time?"

"Well, one of Carlisle's close friends is retiring, and we have all been invited to the party. I would like to bring you as my date. Carlisle and Esme already know the whole story, so you have nothing to worry about."

"That reminds me. How did things go with Emmett?"

I felt Rosalie's hand stiffen up momentarily. It relaxed again and she answered.

"He is leaving, too."

"For good?"

"No. I don't think so. Emmett always takes bad news extremely hard, but the worst of his reaction is always over after just a few days. I still care about him very much, and I hope he does nothing reckless. I hated to hurt him, Bella. That has been the worst part of this whole thing: hurting the ones we love."

I was still holding onto Rosalie's hand, tracing every line and curve. I loved the way her hand fit into mine. Although it could snap necks, and probably had, her hand seemed so delicate and incapable of doing any harm.

"I know what you mean. I could hardly face Edward. It might have been easier if he had been angry with me, because I just felt so horrible dumping him when he was being so nice. I know we are doing the right thing, and that makes it all worth it in a sense, but…."

Rosalie's POV

"But it sucks," I replied with a half-smile.

"Basically, yeah." She sighed and then went on, "We really should stop talking about it. I mean, what is done, is done, you know." She squeezed my hand as she said, "We have better things to think about."

I leaned over for a kiss, which Bella quickly returned. I was glad to see that she trusted my driving almost as much as I did; even if she kept one hand clasped tightly to the dashboard the whole time my eyes were away from the road.

Being able to kiss someone while driving _way_over the speed limit was one of the advantages of being a vampire. I had never wanted to be a vampire, though. I missed my friends, my family. Sure, the Cullens were my family now, but I wanted to see those I had loved before my transformation. Knowing that I would not be able to do so, at least not any time soon, was painful. I had watched too many loved ones grow old and die as I stayed eternally young. It did not seem fair to me that I had been left without a choice as to where I would spend eternity. Now though, I would gladly spend it on Earth if I meant that I got to love Bella until the end of time. I was selfish, too selfish to refuse her if she wanted to join me in this eternal life. That was neither here nor there, however. We had been officially together for no more than an hour. Mentally shaking off the bit of melancholy my thinking had bought me, I re-entered the present almost as soon as I had left it. (Quick thinking was another vampire advantage.)

"Anyway, we have to find something that is going to make every person in that room extremely envious of me."

"Says you. Even if you were not the personification of beauty, which you are, you would still be biased, which you also are."

"Is self-deprecation some twentieth-century human thing that I have missed? I mean, seriously Bella, you are gorgeous. You might think you are plain, but you are missing the real you. You have got skin that a million girls would kill for. Your eyes are amazing. They always seem to look through me, instead of at me. And then there is that blush, which drives me _crazy _in all the right ways. Plus, you smell completely delicious, which I realize is a little creepy to hear, but is a compliment, I swear. I mean, you tempt me in more ways than one, Isabella Swan. Do not ever worry about that. Aw, look. There's that blush again."

She bit her lip to keep from smiling, but it did not work.

We had now arrived at the best clothing store in Port Angeles. I undid my seat belt and slid out of the car, and walked over to Bella's side to open her door. She stood up and shook out her hair and we shared another small kiss.

"Fine. I believe you. Now let's go get this over with. You have to help me. I have no idea what I am doing in places like this. And no heels. Period."

"Deal."


	12. Chapter 12

Untouched, Ch. 12

Bella's POV

I was absolutely lost in this place. Sure, there were signs that displayed the department name suspended from the ceiling, but they were no help among all the satin and lace. I had had nightmares that did not involve this level of confusion. Yes, I knew what looked good, and what was absolutely hideous. I just preferred jeans and a simple shirt, plus some comfortable sneakers. Luckily, Rosalie seemed to be right at home in this store, probably from being dragged along by Alice to shop at a million just like it.

"You look really good in blue. And green. So let's head over there," she said, pointing to the far corner of the store. "The party is semi-formal, so we are looking for something that's shorter than an evening gown, and longer than a cocktail dress. A dress you would wear to homecoming or something, but with a lot less pouf."

"I don't _do_ pouf, so let's steer clear of that altogether."

"Just come on," Rosalie said, laughing and pulling me along.

We made it to the far corner of the store after being ambushed by over-eager salesladies only twice. After a quick, 'No thanks, just looking,' we dodged each of them and continued following the blue-tiled road to Purgatory. Once there, Rosalie began dashing around to various racks and returned with an armful of dresses. She passed them over into my arms, turned me around to face the dressing room, and, with a gentle pat on my ass, told me to go start trying on each dress. I turned to protest, but could hardly see her over the pile of clothing.

"I'm going to go find a couple of more for you to try, but I'll be right back. I want to see how each dress looks. I know exactly how many I gave you, so no cheating. Now go."

She winked, then turned on her heel and headed back into the sea of taffeta. I was alone now, and nearly ran into a dressing room partition in my haste to hide from any approaching saleswomen. Or salesmen, although I doubted any men would willingly work this department. I absently wondered why Alice did not have a job like this one. The Cullens certainly did not need the money, but it would keep Alice busy. I was sure she could dazzle her way into the hours and departments she wanted to work.

A knock came at the door.

"It's me," Rosalie called.

"Be right out."

I did my best to get into the first dress without toppling the weak dressing room partitions. I stumbled only once, surprisingly. I fidgeted with the side zipper, but eventually got it closed. When I turned to look at myself in the mirror, I could not believe the trouble I had gone through to look the way I did. The dress clung tightly to all the places I usually tried to avoid drawing attention to. Plus, the dress was way too short for a retirement party. I did not want to give the poor fellow a stroke when he was home free.

"Rose! This is way too short for public," I chided, swinging open the thin door.

"I know. This one was just for me to see."

I, of course, blushed furiously.

"Rose!"

"What? I let you stay in the dressing room. It is not like the dress looks bad on you, though. Seriously."

"Well, thanks, but I'm going ahead with number two. Please tell me it will not get me arrested for public indecency."

"Unfortunately, all the other dresses cover a good bit of area. Hand me that one, and I'll go put it back. Let me see the second one before you take it off, though!"

Rosalie's POV

I did not like to make Bella uncomfortable, but a harmless blush was good for her every now and again. I would never do anything that could cause her any type of harm, but I did not see how trying on a sexy little number would hurt. If anything, it attracted me to her even more. As soon as she swung that door open, it was difficult for me not to push her back into the dressing room and follow. The dress hit her mid-thigh, and she really did not have bad legs, and it was tight in all the right areas, which showed off her great shape. It was too short to wear to a retirement party (she could have given the old man a heart attack when he saw her), but it was just short enough to turn me on a little bit. Yes, getting physical with Bella was something I hoped would happen eventually, but I was not going to push it. Until she was ready, I would have to make do with moments like earlier. It did not seem like such a bad compromise.

I waited patiently for Bella to pass the first dress over the partition. I told her I was going to put it back, but instead I took it to the nearest cashier. I was not through with Bella's body and that dress. It would be making an encore sometime.

As soon as the cashier bagged up the dress and handed me my receipt, I stuffed the bag down into my purse. Luckily, there was not enough fabric to the dress for wrinkling to be a big concern. Besides, I would probably not be paying much attention to details such as wrinkles.

I grabbed a random dress for Bella to try on. She would wonder what had kept me so long if I returned empty handed.

When I got back to the dressing room, Bella was standing outside of it in a black, one-shouldered dress. It looked amazing, but something about it was just not quite right. The color maybe. Bella looked great in black, but color made her appear more alive.

"Wow," I said. "This one definitely has potential. I think you need some color, though, or you will look as pale as I do."

"I already do." She went back into the small, closet-like room and closed the door behind her.

"Ha ha ha. You do not. Try another…. Wait. Find the dark green one with the empire waist."

"Okay. Here's the black one. Hold on to it."

I took the dress from her hands. It was still warm from her body heat, though just barely. I pulled the dress up to my nose and breathed in deep. Her smell was absolutely mouthwatering. I kept the thought to myself; though the comment was a compliment, it had to be strange for someone to hear how mouthwateringly delicious they smelled.

"Rose, there are three green ones. What is an 'am-peer' waist?"

"Oh, Bella, Bella, Bella. Open the door."

She swung open the door and I noted that she had not bothered to cover herself up. I stood there in the doorway for just a moment, staring, before she coughed.

"I would rather not stand here in my skivvies with the door open all day," she gestured for me to come in. I did, and she closed the door behind me.

"Sorry. Got distracted," I said.

I leafed through the shrinking pile of dresses until I came to a gorgeous hunter green sheath that I knew would perfectly complement her dark hair and pale skin.

"This is the one," I said.

Bella's POV

Rosalie was holding up a beautiful green dress. Never one to wear dresses, I was surprised at how much I immediately loved it.

"You are right. It is perfect."

"Well, you should try it on just to be absolutely sure, but I agree. It will look stunning on you."

Rosalie handed the dress over to me. I stepped into it and pulled it up.

"I need some help with the zipper," I told Rose. I put my back to her and held my hair out of the way.

When her fingers first grazed my back, I shivered. It was cold, but more than that, the touch of her skin on mine was electrifying.

"Sorry. I know the cold thing is unpleasant."

I simply nodded. She zipped the dress the rest of the way up, and I let my hair fall back over my shoulders before I turned to face her and the mirror.

"Wow," we said, simultaneously, then laughed.

"I know I have said this before, Bella, but you are absolutely beautiful. This dress is lucky to be seen on you."

Rosalie came up behind me, and wrapped her arms around my waist. Before resting her chin on my shoulder, she planted a small, tender kiss on my shoulder blade.

"I believe you," I said with a smirk. I remained in Rose's embrace, but turned to kiss her on the lips. I simply could not get enough of her. "Now let's get out of here. I will already be having nightmares of velvet and tulle."


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:**** I swear, review replies coming soon. ASAP.**

**Also, I dedicate this chapter to ****Ookami Z****, for no reason other than that she complained that I have never dedicated anything to her. So, in order to stop riding the USS FAILboat, and because she is one of my besties IRL, I am now dedicating this chapter to her. Here you go, chica. Lucky chapter 13. Hope it is worthy. :)**

**Also, I have Googled my face off looking for a picture of "the perfect gown." No such luck, yet, and I have not given up. Might change the description from last chapter, because I have found some absolutely gorgeous dresses that are barely outside the description. So, if you see a dress that looks nothing like what I described earlier, whoops. What fun is it being an author if you cannot change things up as you please?  
I also have been trying to find a picture of what I envision Rose's "Sexytime For Bella" dress to look like, but searching for short, tight, black dresses yields some results straight from the kinkiest level of fashion hell. So, the search endures. Wish me luck, and ENJOY. :D**

Rosalie's POV

Bella had found her perfect gown. With a little bit of tailoring, which was one of Alice's specialties, it would be as though that dress was made purely with Isabella Swan in mind. Unfortunately, the hunt for the dress took less time than I had imagined it would. I was mildly disappointed; it was fun watching Bella play dress up.

"Unzip me, please," Bella said.

"With pleasure."

I gently and carefully unzipped the dress. It would be so embarrassing to rip her dress, and when you had vampire strength, that was an easily imaginable thing. Remembering Bella's reaction last time I grazed her skin, I also did my best to not make contact with her skin. I succeeded, until she fell backwards onto my hand.

"Sorry. I'm such a klutz," she said, her warm, bare back still pressed against my ever-frozen hand.

"It is fine. I love it," I said, smiling at her. I finished unzipping the dress and quickly removed my hand from her skin. "There," I said, "All done. I'm going to go ahead and put these dresses back while you get dressed."

I gathered the massive pile of frills from where it lay on the dressing room bench, and maneuvered my way out of the dressing room. Meanwhile, Bella clutched the dress to her chest, a strange look on her face, until the door was safely closed behind me. I managed to get all of the dresses hanging on the return rack beside the dressing rooms, and then returned to stand guard at Bella's door.

As I waited for her to dress, I pondered the expression on Bella's face. It had been kind of sad... almost regretful, maybe? No, that was not quite it. I had no idea how to put it into words.

Bella's POV

I was unbelievably relieved to be done with shopping. Well, with this part of the shopping, anyway. I was sure that there would be accessories, shoes, jewelry, and all sorts of fun things to look forward to…

I asked Rose for help unzipping my dress. Even if I had been able to reach the zipper, I still would have ended up lying on the floor in a tangled pile of klutz. Besides, I wanted to feel her touch again. It was one thing to hold her hand, or to feel her on my cheek, but it was another thing entirely to feel her hands on my bare back, a place that had never been touched this way. It was a new sensation, and after the initial cold shock, a pleasant one.

I could feel the coldness emanating from Rosalie's hand as she brought her hand oh-so-close to brushing my skin. To see that Rose avoided touching me now almost hurt. I knew it was silly to think so. After all, I had not corrected her assumption that I shivered because of the frigidness of her hands. She was only being thoughtful and considerate, now, but killed me to be so close without touching her, and so I did what comes naturally to me: I fell. It was just enough of a stumble to place us in physical contact with one another. I took no action to put space between us, and hoped that she would take the hint. However, she removed her hand after just a few seconds and I mumbled something about being a klutz.

"It's fine. I love it," she said, and then hastily finished unzipping the dress. She then gathered all of the rejects into her arms and made her way out of the room. I just stared at her as she exited, clutching the dress to my chest. I did not know what to make of the exchange. I silently chided myself for being petty and a coward; I knew that I should have told her that her touch did not repel me at all. I should have told her that I wanted to feel her touch forever, and that if she _never _let me go, I would not mind a bit. Instead of telling her any of these things, though, I let the perfect dress fall to the floor.

Rosalie's POV

I had no idea what had just happened with Bella. Everything was perfect, but then _something_ happened. The only thing that came to mind was the fact that I would not make contact with her skin as I was helping her with her dress, and even that did not make sense. After all, she had shivered when I brushed her earlier, and she had not spoken against my assumption that it bothered her. Therefore, I did my best to avoid causing her more discomfort. Maybe that had not been what she had wanted after all. Perhaps her 'fall' was not accidental at all, and I had missed the hint. That would explain why she seemed so offended. Surely she understood my actions. Nonetheless, I felt the need to apologize. Call it old-fashioned to apologize for every little thing, but the etiquette I was raised with deemed it appropriate to do so.

I knocked gingerly on the dressing room door.

"Bells. Can I come in?"

"I'm on my way out," she said quietly and opened the door.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked her.

"Nothing," she said, falsely brightening.

"Okay. I am going to go get this dress taken care of. There is a little deli next door that I hear is absolutely delicious by human standards. I'll meet you there."

"Rose, I cannot let you spend all this money on me."

"Yes, Isabella, you can, and you will. I have been waiting to do this for a very long time."

"Well, thank you," she said.

"The exit is that way, in case you are lost."

"And then some," she said, "But I'll survive."

I made my way to the cashier's station as Bella headed to the door.

Bella's POV

The aroma coming from the deli was mouthwatering. Turns out that dress-hunting gives you an appetite. I had barely secured Rosalie and me a table in the corner when I saw her walking through the door. Damn vampires and their super speediness. Heads turned as Rosalie walked down the center aisle of the small restaurant. Although she harbored a healthy amount of vanity, and it was no secret, her beauty was effortless. She spotted me immediately and walked over to me, placing the dress, secure in its brightly colored shopping bag, on the floor by my feet.

"Sorry that took so long. The sales lady had no idea what she was doing. You must be starving. What do you want to eat?"

That had taken a long time?

"Um, turkey on wheat. Lots of veggies, no mayo. And hold the peppers."

"Chips?"

"Yes, please. Surprise me."

I sat at the table and waited for Rose to return. A short time later she did return, empty cup in hand.

"Here. Go fix your drink."

She returned to the line of people that were waiting on their food.

I took my time fixing my drink and returned to my seat just as Rose was returning to the table with a small tray holding my food.

I hungrily grabbed the sandwich and scarfed down a couple of bites. Rosalie just observed. I wondered sometimes if the Cullens missed things like chips or turkey subs, though I doubted that either delicacy existed in the time of the Cullens' respective human lives.

"I am sorry for going so weird on you back there," I said after finally swallowing my food and taking a sip of my soda.

"Apology accepted. However, I would much rather have an explanation."

I nodded.

"This is going to sound really petty," I said. I took a deep breath. "Okay. It's just that, when you were unzipping my dress… This is really stupid, okay, but when you were unzipping the dress, you avoided touching me.""

"Only because I thought it bothered you," Rose said.

"I know. That is why I said it was stupid. I shivered because of the cold, yes, but not only the cold. It was not a completely bad shiver, but I had no idea how to tell you that. And then the second time around, you avoided me completely, and so..."

"And so you pretended to fall."

"Yes. But even after we were touching, and I hadn't moved, you pulled away so quickly. It kind of hurt, a little bit."

"Bella, I'm sorry. I was just trying to make you comfortable. I know how cold my skin is compared to yours, and I cannot imagine how it is a pleasant sensation for you when the two meet so suddenly. I didn't realize…"

"I know, I know," I shrugged, and brought another chip to my mouth.

"I assure you I won't do it again," Rose said somewhat teasingly, and then she got serious again, "Unless you tell me otherwise, of course. I understand that the cold might be too much sometimes. It isn't like anyone has much use for a perpetual ice block as a girlfriend, especially in the Pacific Northwest."

"You have much too personality to be an ice block," I said with a smile.

"God, I sure hope so. Something has got to keep you entertained for a while."

"Which reminds me, do we really have to go shoe shopping?"

Rosalie laughed. It was a beautiful sound that turned the heads of our fellow deli patrons. Not as many heads as when she made her initial entrance into the place, however. I still could not believe my luck to be with someone as amazing as Rosalie. Inside and out, she was gorgeous, a woman that I could spend my life with. And maybe all of eternity.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:  
****Does this story have...  
**_**Cheesy, fluffy goodness? **_**CHECK.  
**_**Mild girl on girl action?**_** CHECK.  
**_**Substance?**_** CHECK.  
**_**Big words?**_** CHECK.  
**_**Some sort of tie-In with the book? **_**CHECK.  
**_**Over-Protective Charlie "The Pornstache" Swan? **_**CHECK.**

**Do I own the characters, or the Twilight universe? Unfortunately, NO CHECK.**

**Will you love it? Hopefully CHECK, but ****you**** tell me. :)**

* * *

Rosalie's POV

After a tiresome day of shopping, Bella was ready to collapse.

"Have a good time?" Charlie asked as Bella and I, each carrying a multitude of shopping bags, entered the house.

"You know how much I love shopping, Dad," Bella replied sarcastically, "But, yes. I actually did have fun."

"Ditto," I said, beaming.

"Good. You girls can have the living room to yourselves. I want no part of the frills. I will be in the kitchen, Bella, if you need me. The kitchen that has a great view of the couch," Charlie said, and though the last thing he said was directed at Bella, he looked mainly at me. The look on Bella's face as Charlie spoke was priceless.

"Thanks, Dad," Bella said, "Rose: living room, please."

I crossed the threshold from kitchen to living room and Bella followed. We each dumped our shopping bags on the couch, and Bella found a place among them to sit. I carefully plopped down beside her. She leaned her head on my shoulder, and, in turn, I leaned my head on hers. Our hands intertwined, seemingly of their own volition.

"What now?" Bella asked.

"Now we see how everything we bought today looks together. My favorite part."

"Yay," she said, with meager enthusiasm.

"Fine. We can do it tomorrow, instead. You seem tired."

"I am tired. And I have to study tomorrow," she said, and though studying was no one's hobby, she sounded less apathetic than she had when I suggested she simply try on her outfit.

_I will never completely understand the way this girl's mind works_, I thought with a smile.

"Need help studying?"

"Not really, but I won't mind the company. And in return, I will let you play dress up. As long as you keep me in a good mood, that is."

"Deal."

"Do you want to leave your bags here so you don't have to lug them around tomorrow?"

"It is hardly a challenge, Bella. Besides, I have to get Alice's approval. Thanks anyway, though."

"Right. Alice. She will hate us for going shopping without her."

"I have not talked to her yet. Not about any of this."

"Well, maybe we could talk to her together. I mean, Alice and I have always been close, so I want to tell her for myself. Besides, I am extremely curious as to whether or not she knew this would happen."

"Me too! The thought of it fascinates me, for some strange reason," I replied with a small chuckle.

"Okay. I plan on sleeping until at least ten tomorrow morning. I have gotten maybe five hours a night this past week. I only slept for two hours last night. It was so horrible. Anyway, after I get up, I'll need an hour for human stuff. So, what do you say you come over around eleven? We will study for two hours. I'll eat, and then we'll go see Alice. Oh, and you can wait on getting her seal of approval until tomorrow. I'll bring my dress, too, and she can do her thing. What do you say?"

"That sounds feasible. Alice should be home tomorrow, too."

"Mmm," Bella sighed, snuggling closer to me, "This is really nice."

"It is," I agreed. I had never been happier.

Bella's POV

Sitting here with Rosalie was an amazing feeling. We stopped talking, and just sat in the quiet. After a few silent seconds, I heard the creak of Charlie's chair. I did not turn around, but just chuckled quietly as I imagined him leaning backwards in his chair to make sure we were not up to no good.

Rosalie whispered in my ear, "I think he's checking up on us."

Without turning around, I stuck my hand up in the air and waved, knowing that Charlie would see. Apparently he did see, because the sound of his chair slamming into the floor followed seconds after my wave.

"Everything alright in there, Dad?" I called.

A cough, followed by, "Yeah, Bells. Why do you ask?"

"No reason."

"Oh, wow," Rosalie said softly, "This is more entertainment than I bargained for."

It was quiet for another moment.

"Well, Bella, as much as I hate to leave, I need to hunt today. Esme and I are going out together and we're gonna eat us a mountain lion," Rosalie said, providing an amusing, greatly exaggerated country accent for the last part.

"Well you have fun with that, then," I said while laughing, "Come on, and I will walk you to your car."

Rosalie stood and grabbed her shopping bags.

"Keep those hidden until tomorrow," I said. "Even if you have to stand guard over them all night."

"Do not joke. I probably will have to keep a very close eye on them. Alice can detect the 'new clothes scent' from four miles away."

"I do not doubt that a bit, actually," I replied.

Rosalie and I walked through the kitchen.

"Goodbye, Charlie," Rosalie said.

"I'll be right back, Dad. Just walking Rosalie to her car."

"Fine, Bells. I'm reclaiming the living room."

"'Kay, Dad."

Rose walked out the door. I followed and then closed the door behind me.

Rose slowed her walk so that I could catch up to her. As she slowed down, she moved all her bags to her left hand so that I could grasp her right. We walked side by side, shoulders touching, and our entwined hands swung gently back and forth. The trip to the car was much too short. I let go of Rosalie's hand and stood by her car door as she put her bags into the trunk of her enviably sparkly red convertible. Would I trade my old, faithful truck for that car? No, I would not, because I had no desire to drive at illegal speeds. I did, however, have to admit that those Germans sure knew how to make a nice car.

After closing the trunk, Rose ambled over to where I stood. I took both of her hands and gently pressed her up against the side of the car. I leaned into her wholly, unafraid of the fact that Charlie was possibly watching through the front door. Probably, rather, though I hoped that some other game (Lord knows that there is never a shortage of football) had captured and held his attention. He knew that I was with Rosalie, and even if he did not realize just how deeply and completely I loved and was in love with Rose, he still knew better than to expect totally chaste behavior. As far as he knew, we were both your average, ordinary hormonal teenage girls. A little tonsil hockey every now and again was to be expected.

To that end, I placed my lips mere centimeters from Rosalie's.

"You are making me do all the work now, I see," she said, teasingly.

"Not all of the work," I replied, grinning and biting my lip coyly.

"I would travel the world for you, Isabella Marie. A few centimeters are nothing," she replied.

Her hand found its way gently to the back of my head, and Rosalie pulled me close, while at the same time leaning almost imperceptibly inward. Our lips met, and as though we were in the middle of some cheesy movie, my legs slightly buckled. I fell onto Rosalie, this time not on purpose, and there was a slight crunch as she hit the car. Our lips still moving together, I mumbled a slightly delighted apology. I could feel Rosalie smiling as well. As soon as the kiss was over, Rosalie and I each took a step back to observe the damage. Rose being the autophile she was, I knew it would be no problem for her to repair the fresh dent in her door.

Rosalie's POV

"I didn't know vampires stumbled so easily," Bella said. I concurred.

"They don't. Vampires also do not make out with humans, nor do they often let down their guard as I do with you. Not _that_ guard, anyway. I mean, I do have to be careful, but only so that you don't get hurt."

"I wondered when you would mention that," she said, in a dampened tone of voice.

"I imagine that you have heard it quite often. You and I both know the risks, but I trust myself enough to actually enjoy what is happening instead of worrying about what is not happening. As showcased by the fact that you only turned slightly green as I was driving, I think you trust me, too. You, on the other hand, cannot be trusted. Not around my car, anyway."

"Whoops…," Bella said, making it sound almost like a question as she shrugged in a way that was cute enough to make me fall in love with her all over again. Considering the trouble I went through the first time, however…. No, not really. I would gladly fall in love with Bella time and time again. That much I knew to be true, simply because I had done so multiple times today. Sometimes it was something she said that did the trick, or sometimes just the way she said things. Other times it was a look on her face or the look in her eyes when she told me she loved me. All of the things I had endured in each life of mine were suddenly rectified in these moments.

"Yes, whoops. As your punishment, there will now be a camera involved in tomorrow's makeover session with Alice."

"I dented your car, I didn't total it. Do I really deserve the camera?"

"Unfortunately for you, yes. Someday you will learn not to shove vampires around."

As I knew she would, Bella playfully and suddenly lunged for me. I was ready for her though, and swept her gingerly up in my arms for the day's last kiss. I sat her back down gently onto the ground. She looked a bit dazzled.

"I love you, Rose," she said.

I smiled. It was still so amazing to hear her speak those words.

"I love you, too."

Bella stayed at the top of the driveway and waved as I got into my car, and began the quick drive home.


	15. Chapter 15

**UPDATED A/N:**

**I totally cheated, and fixed the goof-up I made about Bella telling Charlie she was going to be at the Cullen place, and then leaving him a note because she in fact had **_not_** told him. I had it one way initially, but then I thought,**_** well maybe it would flow better **_this_** way**_**, so I changed it to reflect that thought, and apparently forgot about the other one. Anyway, 'tis all better now. Plus a couple of little things were bugging me, so I zapped those, too, but no major changes. Keep reading. It only gets better from here! :D**

*************

**A/N:**** A long-ish chapter! I only switched viewpoints once in this chapter, but each girl has at least a thousand words in her POV. This really is sort of a transition chapter; I don't want to call it a 'filler chapter,' because things do happen in this chapter, but nothing "OMG HUGE." Next chapter, though, includes ALICE CULLEN, and she's totally "OMG HUGE." :) **

**Don't own, don't sue.**

**By the way, the "**upbeat song with a funky beat"** that Bella's mp3 player plays is a song from the New Moon OST: "I Belong To You" by Muse. Don't own that either, and therefore no lyrics.**

**Also, do the books ever say when Charlie's birthday is? I thought I remembered some part of the series that mentioned it, but I skimmed through each book and found nothing. Maybe because I always write at around midnight, and my brains sometimes scuttle away to hide under a rock. If Charlie's birthday is indeed mentioned somewhere in the books, and it isn't any time soon, whoops. Sorry for my FAIL. It isn't a big deal, though, story wise, so 'tis all good.**

**Another 'also,' did anybody watch Supernatural last night? I loved Becky's line, "But like a monkey on the sun, it was too hot to live." HA. I love meta episodes. Another very funny thing: Levi Johnston's pistachio commercial. Youtube it, like now.**

**Forgive my rambling author's note, which may or may not be the last of its kind, and most importantly:**

**Enjoy. :)**

Bella's POV

I kept an eye on Rose as she backed out of the driveway, and I cringed as her car's tires screeched on the pavement. After she was out of sight, I jogged the short distance back to the porch. I rested on the top step for just a moment, enjoying an increasingly familiar feeling of love and appreciation for this small, perpetually rain-stricken town.

Elated though I was, exhaustion plagued me, body and soul. I trudged into the house and told Charlie that I would be turning in early, and that tomorrow afternoon I would be at the Cullen house. Then I headed upstairs. Although it was much too early to go to sleep (it was early evening, but the sun was still up, and I planned on sleeping late anyway, so I might as well wait until dark to turn in), I could at least begin getting ready for bed. Or so I thought; once I got upstairs I did nothing but lie on my bed. I realized after a few minutes that I could not resist the temptation of a nap, so I got up and began pacing around my room, straightening up all the little things that were out of place. My desk needed the most attention, so I cleared it of all the balled-up paper, teeth-marked pencils, and worn-out ink pens that covered the surface. Then I took the books I would not need for tomorrow and shoved them into my bright orange backpack, being careful not to mess up the already tattering zipper, and placed the book bag back beneath my desk.

That task complete, I decided not to continue the fight against the dead weight beleaguering my eyelids. I flopped on my bed, and kicked my shoes to the floor. It felt amazing to lie down and simply exist, to not worry or stress. I was calm, and more than that, I was happy. More than both, I was tired. I told Rose earlier that I had not slept well since the day of the incident, which was the truth. To keep her from worrying, though, or from feeling even guiltier about the situation, I'd added a few imaginary hours of sleep to the numbers I presented to Rose. Rather than the five hours I'd claimed to have gotten, I'd slept only in bursts, getting maybe three hours a night. There was no medical condition, no mystery that left my problems unsolvable; I knew the derivation of my problem: the daylight hours preceding each of these tiresome nights had been stressful and it made sense that my sleep patterns would reflect this. As I would lie in my bed, tossing and turning, my thoughts and worries were relentless, and they would bounce around my mind, unencumbered by my best attempts to quiet them. When I finally did sleep, I endured nightmares that I later could not recount. When I tried to remember them, I could only recall the feeling of being smothered, or of being pushed off some high perch, unable to change or control my fate.

Luckily, I believed that tonight would be different. Today was stressful in its beginning, but the rest of the time played out like something straight from a movie. Even in the small stressful moments, I was so relieved to just be done with internal conflicts and grumpy vampires that the bad times hardly mattered. Tonight I would sleep without waking, and I believed myself too exhausted to dream. That bothered me not at all. My waking hours were enough of a dream come true that if I never dreamt again while sleeping, that would be all right by me.

The next morning, I was glad to realize that I was in fact correct in my 'prediction.' I'd slept peacefully through the night and well into the morning. It was a blissful feeling to be well rested, and for the first time in a week, I woke with something positive to look forward towards. I rolled over to look at the clock, and found that it was just minutes earlier than I had planned on getting out of bed, though I was still surprised at how long I'd dozed. Being well rested put me in a good mood, so I reached over the clock to the speaker dock that held my mp3 player, and pressed play. Immediately, an upbeat song with a funky beat began to blare from the speakers. I kicked off the covers and hopped out of bed, and then began to stretch and dance my way around the room, gathering the clothes I would put on after my shower and the books and things I would need for studying. I laid everything at the foot of my bed, and decided I would eat before I cleaned up and waited for Rose.

I left the music blaring and grabbed a hair tie from a bowl on the nightstand. I danced out of my bedroom, leaving the door open wide. As I made my way down the stairs, I swept my messy hair up into a loose ponytail. Once in the kitchen, I pulled a cereal bowl from the cabinet above Charlie's beloved ancient microwave. Next I grabbed a box of frosted bran cereal from an adjacent cabinet and the milk from the refrigerator, which had a short, sloppy note from Charlie held to it by a magnet in the shape of Washington. I took the note off the fridge and read it: the usual 'Study hard, no making out,' though not quite in those words. Back at the counter, I put my breakfast together like a pro, and then plopped into a seat at the table.

After eating, I hastily cleaned the kitchen back up and made a mental note to leave Charlie a note of my own, because I thought I may have forgotten yesterday to tell him I was going to the Cullen house. The dishes were few and took no time at all to clean. Once everything was back in its proper place, I headed upstairs to the bathroom. I started the shower, and to give the water time to heat up, I ran to my room and grabbed the clothes I picked out earlier. I carried them back to the bathroom and laid them on the counter. The shower was steaming now, so I knew it was ready. I quickly disrobed, grabbed my toothbrush and toothpaste, and hopped into the shower, enjoying the water as it woke me up.

Rosalie's POV

I was due at Bella's home in twenty minutes. The drive there usually took me two minutes, so I had time to kill yet.

I was successful in my quest to keep Alice away from my shopping finds, and also in my hunt. I made sure that I hunted long enough to sate my appetite for at least a week. I had no desire to put Bella in needless danger. One might say that allowing Bella to be close to my family and me was needless danger in itself, but who really gave a damn what 'One' had to say anyway? Sometimes 'One' just needed to shut up and leave everyone else the hell alone.

I looked forward to spending some low key time with Bella. No shopping, no soul searching, no pressure. Just Bella and myself, spending time together. Sure, we would have to study, but I'd been performing flawlessly as a high school student for decades now. Nothing in high school challenged me any longer. Well, nothing related to the academic aspect. Any skill that can be found in any textbook, and even most than cannot, I had learned at some point or another. Being immortal gives you a lot of time to kill, and sometimes you do in fact get desperate.

I put together a small pile of things that I was taking to Bella's place. There was not much we needed to study that she would not already have, but there was a small green box that I had kept well hidden from Bella's eyes. I told her that the sales lady slowed me down yesterday, when in reality I had ducked into another shop to make a more hush-hush purchase. Also, I had promised Esme that I would give Charlie a bottle of Carlisle's finest wine for Charlie's upcoming birthday. I insisted that a nice case of Vitamin R would make him happier, and that he would be happier still if Carlisle and Esme hired someone to put the beer on tap in his kitchen; they did not find my humor amusing, and placed the bottle of wine on the table for me to grab on my way out. Carlisle indeed had quite the collection of fine wines, which he insisted was maintained purely for gift-giving. It had no other purpose, he told us. He did not need the money that would come from selling it, and although it was possible for us all to drink it, none of us would enjoy it. Carlisle did not voice such, but I knew that part of the reason he kept it was to cling to some piece of his former life, a life when he could enjoy things such as fine wines and other human delicacies, a phrase that took on an entirely different meaning in this life.

Deciding that enough wasted time had passed, I grabbed my things and headed to my car.

"Hey baby," I cooed gently as I patted the hood of my car. "Looking good." I laid the miscellaneous items carefully in the passenger seat, save for the small box that made its way into my pristine glove compartment. That, I was saving for later.

I made it to Bella's house right on time. I cut the car off, walked around to the passenger side and removed the things from the seat, and then shut the door. I pressed the lock button on the remote dangling from my key chain. It was a small town, but I really was not in the mood for taking senseless chances, and besides, it was somewhat comforting to do small human things every now and again. It kept the coldness from taking over.

I could hear the shower running somewhere above my head.

_ Bella must be running late._

The shower cut off.

_Maybe she heard the car._

I heard hurried footsteps, and then a shout.

"Just a minute, Rose!"

Bella's minute actually was more like five minutes, but I did not complain. From the exclamations of pain I heard, it seemed like Bella had had it worse than me. Eventually, I heard her descending the stairs. The door lock clicked as it slid open. Bella was dressed, but her hair was still dripping, and it looked as though her shirt was on backwards.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Fine," she said, smiling. "How are you?"

"Never better," I said, and then kissed her on the mouth. "Good morning."

"Ditto," she replied, smiling. "So, you ready to get this studying stuff out of the way?"

"Definitely. This stuff gets old after a while, you know."

She laughed, "I can only imagine."

"Where are we doing this?"

"Living room," she said.

"Right. Oh, Carlisle and Esme sent this over for Charlie. He has a birthday coming up, right?"

"Oh, wow. Yeah, he does. Tell them thanks."

"I told them beer, but they would not listen. Tell Charlie I tried."

Bella grabbed my hand and began pulling me toward the living room as she laughed.

"Could you imagine Carlisle and Charlie drinking together? I mean, Charlie and his six-pack versus Carlisle and his hundred-year old wine?"

"Well, they could invite that werewolf's old man and have their very own Washington Beer & Wine Summit. Bet it would be a lot more fun than the mess in that other Washington."

"Which reminds me, Angela left me a message last night telling me that the history test has been postponed indefinitely. Seems Mr. Johnson got busted for adding a little pick-me-up to his morning cup-o'-Joe, and until matters get sorted out, we're off the hook."

"God. Can you blame him for spiking the coffee? If I had his job…. Ugh. I shudder at the thought."

"Right?! I have no idea where those people get their patience."

"Some saint or another, evidently."

"They must. All right. Let's get down to business."

Bella sat on the floor, using the coffee table as a desk.

"What's first?"

"Well, no need for history. I have English pretty much covered. That leaves biology, which I also have covered, and math."

"Math it is, then."

Bella sighed.

"If we must."

"We must. I'll keep you safe from all the big bad functions."

"Promise?"

"Promise."


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N:**** Hope everybody had a good Thanksgiving, or at least got some time off and did something fun, whether you celebrate Turkey Day or not. Can you believe that it is December already? Wow.**

**Technically, Alice **_**is**_** in this chapter, just as I promised. The chapter after next is the one I thought this one **_**would**_** be, but it just did not work out that way. However, good things happen in this chapter, too. Next chapter will be up A.S.A.P., and it will indeed have a bit of Alice-ness in it. Chapter after next is the good one, though. Makeover time, anyone? ;)**

Also, fixed that last chapter goof. Smoothed a couple of things over, etc. Reads much better now, I think.

**ENJOY. :)**

Bella's POV

After jotting down the final answer to the final problem in the final chapter of my book, I dropped my dying pen onto the coffee table and nursed my aching hand. I would not blame the appendage if it decided to jump ship, to just detach itself from my arm and run to live in a creepy mansion with the Addams family because of how much writing I had done. Rose, of course, offered to write my notes and things for me, but I stupidly refused. It wasn't like she was offering to do the work for me, but she was making it so easy for me to understand that it seemed like I was nonetheless cheating. It was amazing how much more you learned and understood when you were the only student. It also probably helped that this tutor of mine wasn't an older, balding man that smelled of coffee, cigarettes, and Pepto Bismol.

_ No offense, Mr. Lichens, _I thought, _but you are definitely _not_ Rosalie Hale._

I groaned as I leaned back against the couch and stretched my arms into the air. I had not moved much at all in the last two hours, and neither my stiff back nor my neck were about to let me forget that. I got to my knees slowly, ignoring the popping noises they made, and then I stood, slamming the cover of my math book with a tiny bit more force than absolutely necessary. I stretched once again while standing, and winced when I heard a pop in my back.

Rose was still sitting on the rug, impossibly comfortable as she sat there, unintentionally channeling some gorgeous, Old Hollywood actress. It took my breath away to look at her, and I didn't remember to inhale again until Rose stood up, if that's what you could call it. After all, it had taken much less than a quarter of a second for Rose to move from where she sat in front of the couch to where she was standing at my side. Rose sitting, Rose standing. I saw nothing in between the two.

"That is so weird," I said, still reaching for the ceiling with both arms, twisting and turning to stretch out every kink in my back.

"Says the one whose joints are popping like bubble wrap."

"Can't help it. It's a human thing."

Rose chuckled and swept my things off from the table and into her arms. She headed towards the stairs, and told me to follow.

I groaned, but I followed her up the stairs anyway.

"Can't my brain have a moment to scrape itself off the sidewalk?"

"C'mon, Bella. You said yourself how easy the work was once I explained it to you. You can't fool me there. Besides, we can't leave Alice waiting much longer. I can practically hear her bouncing off the closet walls…. Oh. Did I ever tell you about the quite sizeable cardboard box Alice has in her second closet? The one marked 'Bella?'"

"What?"

"Oh yeah. She keeps it stocked with makeup, hair gunk, and lots of beauty-related miscellanea. I think there are some probably some expensive clothes in there, also. Maybe some of those 'death-trap' shoes you're always going on about, too."

We reached the landing and I stepped around Rose to open the door to my bedroom. She pirouetted gracefully through the door to stand beside my wooden desk.

"Are you kidding?"

Rosalie turned to face me then. She scoffed.

"You wish. She adds something to the box every time she goes shopping."

"_Every_ time? Are you sure it's only one box?"

"Now that you mention it…," Rose began, sitting the pile of notebooks and textbooks on my desk.

"Not funny," I said, cutting her sentence short.

"You will be fine, I promise. Alice has 'dolled you up' before, and there was no permanent damage done."

"According to you! You were not the one that had to sit there for hours on end being combed, and curled, and sprayed, and 'moussed,' and powdered and glittered! I am forever emotionally scarred."

Rose was laughing in full force now. Apparently my rant was amusing to her. Reading the expression on my face, an expression that clearly relayed that I thought otherwise, Rosalie stopped laughing and put on a straight face.

"You're right," Rosalie began. "I have never experienced Alice's wrath as a human. I can fight her off if the powder pouf gets too close for comfort." Rosalie laughed again. "There were a few times in the beginning when I did have to threaten her favorite pair of shoes to calm her down, but she rarely gets a chance to go to work on me now. I do practically all of my 'beautifying' on my own. Sometimes, though, when that little pixie gets bored…."

Rosalie's POV

"Let me grab my jacket," Bella said a few minutes after our laughter subsided. "I'll meet you in the car."

"Sure thing."

I slid carefully down the banister of Bella's stairs. It was a trick I hadn't tried until I was a vampire; sliding down banisters was a very un-ladylike feat during the time I was human. Now, every once in a while, especially when I was in a giddy mood, I never left a banister untouched.

As I reached the bottom of the banister and slid gracefully to my feet at Bella's front door, an interesting idea struck me. I dashed to the car and was safely buckled in the passenger's seat of my car before Bella's front door was even completely closed.

A moment later, I heard Bella descending the stairs. Amid the sound of her clomping footsteps, there was a silent second, quickly followed by a loud thump. I was worried that Bella had injured herself by falling down the stairs, but I heard her mutter some mild version of an expletive under her breath a second later. Bella had merely missed a step, or so it seemed. Her recovery time was impeccable; apparently this falling down business was nothing new to her. Part of me wanted to laugh at how clumsy Bella was, always tripping on this, or falling over that. Another part of me, though, was wary. I needed no reminding of how breakable Bella was. Even if she missed just one step too many, it could spell the end of her life, my universe. The thought was a painful one to bear, but I could not ignore it. I would do my best not to let Bella get hurt, but I could not be there with her at every staircase or rogue tree root that she encountered. I could not bear the irony if, after spending months among a family of 'vegetarian' vampires, and various days amid hostile vampires, Bella Swan met her death on the Forks High library stairs. How ridiculous.

Bella's exit brought my attention away from such thoughts. She shut the door and tested the knob to make sure it was locked. Bella descended the front steps easily, but I still almost winced. I needed to stop thinking so morbidly. Otherwise, I would make myself miserable, and Bella as well.

Bella stopped short of the car when she noticed that I was not in my usual seat. The surprised and confused look on her face forced all morbid thoughts from my head. I leaned gently across the console and opened the driver's door.

"Bella, honey, we are going to be late, and Alice will make you pay for it by plastering pictures of you in full 'costume' all over MugTome dot com. I can guarantee that the photos will also be front and center in the yearbook. She will do it, I promise you, and there's no stopping her when she's determined."

"I… but… ugh. Fine."

"That's my girl."

Bella's POV

I was sitting in one of the places I thought I would never be sitting in: the driver's seat of Rosalie Hale's shiny red BMW. It was almost a surreal feeling. Unlike my truck, this car was suave, sleek. The leather seats carried a healthy shine and the new car smell still lingered. The car's finish was flawless, making the car look brand new, though I was sure this car was not one to just take up space in the garage while the other vehicles had their fun.

I nervously buckled my seat belt and started the engine. It took on the first try, a feat my truck was not fond of demonstrating. I sat there in the seat, gripping the steering wheel, as the car idled.

"Bella," Rose whispered, "The car is not going to bite you, I promise."

I laughed weakly. I knew I was overreacting. It was just a car. I knew how to drive. Where was the problem?

"You're right," I said. I hastily maneuvered the gearshift into drive. I pressed experimentally on the gas pedal. The engine roared, but the car didn't budge.

"Rose, what am I doing wrong here?" I asked. I didn't try to mask the panicky edge to my voice.

"I think you accidentally nudged it back into park."

"I barely touched it!"

"This one's not an antique, Bella."

"Hate on my truck again, and no more kisses for the next twelve hours."

"What I meant to say was that this sporty Bavarian Motor Works convertible, while speedy and gorgeous, lacks the unique brand of character and steadfastness that only a 1953 Chevrolet truck can bring to the table," Rosalie said, her voice a flawless imitation of the voiceovers that normally accompanied car commercials. There was only one difference: I would never flip the channel on Rosalie's voice.

"That's much better."

I moved the gearshift once more, making certain this time that it was indeed in the correct place. I was careful not to nudge it again. My dignity could only last so much longer.

This time when I tapped the accelerator, the car lurched forward and I slammed it to a stop, surprised by its power.

"Good thing vampires are virtually indestructible," Rose laughed.

So much for my dignity.

"Shut up. It wasn't that bad," I said, attempting to defend myself. "I'm used to my truck. I just needed to get a feel for this car. It's all good now."

The third time being the charm, I pressed the gas pedal once more.

Perfection.

I pulled out of the driveway, and we began the drive to the Cullen house. Luckily, Rose was not one to complain about the fact that I stayed barely above the posted speed limit, but I sensed that since this experiment was out of her system, she would not volunteer me to drive ever again. I was quite okay with that.

Rosalie's POV

We managed to make it to the house in one piece. After Bella's initial issues with the car, she quickly relaxed and let her reflexes take over. She was not a bad driver, once she got past her nerves. I understood that she was used to her Chevy, and that my baby was very different from hers. All things considered, our trip was not half-bad.

I directed Bella toward my side of the garage, and she maneuvered the car into its space with surprising grace. I loved this confident side of Bella, the side that never wavered or hesitated. Sometimes it took a little while for that side of her to show itself, but once it did, there was no stopping Bella. Speaking of courage and confidence, it was almost time for me to find my own courageous side. I realized how ridiculous it was that I had devoured grizzlies, faced down enemy vampires, even murdered human scumbags, and yet one look from Bella made me weak in the knees. Well, it _would _make me weak in the knees, if it wasn't for the fact that 'weak' is one of the most seldom used adjectives used to describe a vampire's knees, or a vampire's anything, really. Nonetheless, the effect Isabella Swan had on me was an extraordinary one.

Bella unbuckled her seat belt and hopped out of the car cautiously. The garage left no empty areas, so it was very easy to hit something with the door. Easy for a human, anyway. Bella turned away from the car for a moment as she shut the door, giving me just enough time to snag the small green jewelry box from my glove compartment and hide it away in my pocket.

"It's fine, Bells. You are not going to break anything, okay? And even if you do, I'll be able to fix it like a pro. If I can't, then I can buy a new car. You need to just relax. Out of everything in and around this house, you are by far the most easily breakable item."

She was silent as we walked towards the door that led to the house. I ignored the fact that I saw her eyes linger at the empty spot across the garage where Edward's dark silver Volvo usually rested.

"That was actually supposed to be a reassuring statement, Bella."

"Sure, sure."

I draped an arm around Bella's shoulder as we crossed the threshold into the home of Forks' resident vampires. The room we entered was what one could call a laundry room, though this was more the size of your friendly neighborhood Laundromat. It was easier to have our own dry-cleaning equipment than to rely on a service that did a less than perfect job in our eyes. To human eyes, the garments would appear perfectly cleaned and pressed. With the eyes of vampires, even the most microscopic of blemishes could be spotted, and therefore could ruin an outfit, especially for Esme or Alice. Actually, Alice preferred never to wear the same outfit twice in any given amount of time, so Esme was the most persnickety of the family where clothing was concerned. If a single thread happened to be out of place, Esme took care of it before she would even think about wearing the garment.

I pulled Bella in front of me, keeping her back to me so that I could carefully remove her jacket. She still wasn't talking much.

"Is it Alice you're scared of?" I asked her.

She turned on her heel and faced me.

"It's really more what Alice is going to do to me," she sighed.

"Don't be so melodramatic, Bella," I said with a smile. "I'm sure the corset won't be that bad."

Bella blanched.

"C-C-Corset?" she stuttered, her eyes wide.

I laughed.

"Sorry," I said, "Couldn't resist. Of course there is no corset. As far as I know, anyway."

I grabbed Bella's hand and led her towards the living room.

Alice was waiting there, of course.

"YOU'RE HERE!" Alice trilled in a remarkably high pitch. A glass shattered in the kitchen.

"Seriously, Alice, you have to stop doing that. Esme is going to dismember you if that was another piece of her crystal."


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N:**** Okay, next chapter, I promise will have Alice in all her ambush makeover glory! Originally, I really did mean for it to be in this chapter, but I was already over nineteen-hundred words, and I rarely go above twenty-five-hundred words, period. (Except for chapter eight: twenty-eight-hundred words, but that was most definitely the exception, not the rule.) How do you expect me to do Alice Cullen true justice in less than six-hundred words? Psshhht. ;)**

Bella's POV

Alice's chiming squeal caught me off guard. She was more rambunctious than usual, and that was really saying something about the tiny vampire.

A glass shattered somewhere in the kitchen as Alice's high-pitched peal bounced around on various surfaces. I'd never known someone who could break glass with his or her voice, and it was a strangely fascinating thing, though Alice had not done it on purpose. Rose chastised Alice, telling her that if that broken glass happened to be another piece of Esme's crystal (_another_ piece?), Alice would face dismemberment at her mother's hands. However, I could never imagine sweet motherly Esme hurting even a fly, much less her daughter Alice.

"Esme keeps the good stuff locked up now, Rose," Alice said dismissively. "Now, Bella, I have a couple more things to take care of upstairs, so you and Rose stay down here until I call you up, okay?"

"Certainly," Rose replied on my behalf.

I would have sworn that a secretive glance passed between the two sisters, but if it had, it lasted for mere milliseconds, and I could not be sure that I had seen anything at all.

Rose dragged me over to the couch. She leaned back, perched easily on the back of the couch, and pulled me gently towards her so that our foreheads were pressed together.

"Just breathe, Bella," Rose said teasingly after Alice was gone.

"Sure, sure."

"I'll be right there the whole time, promise. If it helps, we could even have a code word or a secret phrase. You say it, and I'll come up with some excuse to get us out of there."

"Alice already knows we're going to try and escape."

"Well, yes, but don't you think at least having a plan will make you feel a little better? Never mind the fact that no possible plan could ever work against Alice."

"If you say so. What is our secret phrase going to be?" I whispered.

"Hmm. How about something discreet like 'hairspray?'"

"No. Alice would think you meant that my hair needed more spraying. Definitely not. How about something weird like 'blueberry muffin?'"

"Hm. Not feeling that one either. Too random. How about… 'diamond necklace?'" Rosalie asked.

"How is that one not too rand--?" I started to ask. I stopped when I noticed that Rosalie was pulling a small green box from her pocket.

Without thinking, I took a step back.

"Rose!" I felt my eyes grow wide as I gasped Rosalie's name. I reflexively brought my hand up to my mouth, but moved it soon after so that Rose could see the giant smile my face harbored.

"For me?" I could not help but ask.

"Of course, Bella. Who else would it be for?"

I reached out with shaking hands to grasp the box Rose held out in front of me. I held the box for a moment and just stared at it before I carefully lifted the lid.

I gasped again. The necklace was beautiful. Beyond beautiful. It was gorgeous, almost as breathtaking as Rosalie herself. The chain was plain and delicate, just a very shiny silver color. The massive sparkling stone in the setting that dangled at the end of the chain was anything but plain, despite the ordinary oval shape it was shaped into.

"That's not cubic zirconium, is it, Rose?"

"Of course not. It's a diamond, naturally. As for the chain, it's white gold. We'll have to have it re-dipped every five years so that it maintains its shine and color, but that is nothing to worry about," she paused.

"Do you like it?"

"I love it, but I can't…." I broke off, again at a loss for words once I glanced at the necklace again. "I mean, how many mortgages did Carli- well, how many mortgages would _Charlie_ have to take out to afford this?"

"You can take it, you will take it, and money is no issue" Rose stated in a voice that dared me to disagree. "I've got the money to spare."

"Okay. Wow. Oh my goodness, Rose, this is…" A small breeze ruffled my hair. It was Rose gliding over to stand beside me.

"Absolutely beautiful," she finished, but when I noticed that she was looking at me, I knew she was somehow not referring to the necklace. I blushed, of course, as I always did, and that made Rosalie smile.

"Here," she said, holding her hand out. "Let's get this on you. Hold your hair up."

I placed the green box in Rose's outstretched palm.

Rosalie's POV

I could see that Bella truly loved the necklace. She complained in good taste that she could not accept so pricey a gift, but money really was no issue when you'd been saving as long as I. Besides, the look in Bella's eyes was worth every penny and more to me. It brought me such happiness to see her eyes light up the way they did, like a child on Christmas morning.

"Okay. Wow. Oh my goodness, Rose, this is…" Bella began.

I finished her sentence for her, "Absolutely beautiful."

She looked up at me then, and we both knew that I was not speaking of the necklace as she had been. Bella, of course, blushed, her cheeks turning a fierce pink. That blush was one of my favorite things about her. Bella regarded it with pure disdain, for it gave her away too often, she thought, but I happened to know it was beautiful.

"Let's get this on you," I offered.

Bella placed the box in my outstretched hand, and gathered her hair in her hands as I'd asked, pulling it out of the way.

I deftly undid the binding that anchored the necklace's cushion to the bottom of the box. I then, with great care, released the clasp of the necklace. I placed the necklace lightly against Bella's neck and securely refastened the clasp.

"All done," I said.

Bella released her hair and it fell below her shoulders. The scents that that simple movement released were intoxicating and it set my throat to burning. Even with my eyes at their brightest gold, like they were now, it was still a challenge to resist Bella's blood. I loved being with her more than I could ever love the temporary primal satisfaction that would come with killing her. Besides, I'd never tasted human blood. Not even a drop. That would never change.

Moments later, Alice, my jewelry conspirator all along, called my name. It snapped me out of my little daze. Bella turned around, straightening the necklace so that it dangled just below the hollow in her throat.

"How does it look?" she asked, gesturing towards the necklace.

"Like it was made just for you," I said. Then, a little sheepishly, for her benefit, "Which it was, actually."

"You people and money," Bella joked incredulously, shaking her head. "It's ridiculous!" She quickly grew serious. "Thank you, Rose. I mean, the necklace, it's perfect. And you, you're perfect, too. I love you."

"I love you, too. And you're welcome. You know, I designed the necklace myself. It reminds me of you: simple, but breathtakingly beautiful. Although, that poor necklace has no hope of ever outshining you."

"The necklace is gorgeous, I agree."

"Isabella Marie! Don't you ever doubt that you are the single most beautiful creature on this planet. If you can't see that fact through your own eyes, at least attempt to see it through mine. Imagine what it is like for me, a living, and I use that term loosely,legend, to find someone like you to spend my existence with. First, you are not completely repelled by the fact that I am a mythical monster, like most humans are _designed_ to be. Second, you are so smart that sometimes you even outmaneuver _me_, which honestly is saying something, and third, you keep me laughing, _always_. Plus, you are _gorgeous_, whether you want to believe it or not. I can barely keep my eyes off you, and you have _no idea _how difficult it is for me to keep my _hands_ off you. Every guy at Forks 'has the hots' for you, and I'm sure a lot of the girls do, too, for that matter. And yet, with all that and more which made me fall in love with you, you for some reason choose to be with me. Can you not see that much at least? If your answer is no, then we may as well call this relationship quits because I just might die of exasperation before we even hit our one week anniversary."

"Well, when you put it that way…," Bella began doubtfully.

I scoffed and rolled my eyes.

"It sounds like you've been saving that speech for a while. Good thing vampires don't have to breathe. And aren't you already dead?"

"You are impossible, Bella, you truly are."

"I'm sorry. You know I'm just kidding. But I really do find it difficult to understand what you find so special about me. I am the one that should be down on my knees exclaiming 'I'm not worthy.' I guess I could be convinced to see things your way, though," Bella hinted for a subject change, bringing her lips slowly, but steadily, closer to mine.

"I love you. More than everything else put together," I said, "And I am not about to give up on convincing you just how amazing you are." Then I closed the distance between us, effectively ending the conversation. For now.

The kiss was brief; Alice spoke again, a little less chime in her voice this time.

"She is Alice, hear her roar," I whispered to Bella.

"I heard that," Alice said in a conversational volume.

I gave Bella my hand and we walked together up the stairs.

Bella's POV

As we crested the stairs, I could not help but glance towards Edward's room. A bolt of pain seared through me, white-hot.

_Edward's _former_ room, _I corrected myself.

The heavy door was open, and I could see that not a single belonging of Edward's remained. The room that was formerly brimming with various music mediums, books, journals and other things distinctly Edward, was remarkably empty, save for one mirror hanging on the far wall. In that mirror, I studied myself from afar, and was shocked to find that I looked incredibly sad. A moment later, I noticed Rosalie's reflection in the same mirror. She seemed to understand my sadness, but she remained silent. Her only response was to lightly squeeze my hand. She let her reflected eyes linger on mine for only a second before turning away. The only face in the mirror then was my own.

It was only when Rosalie lightly tugged on my hand that I pulled my gaze away from that mirror on the far wall and the emptiness that surrounded it. I took a deep breath, and shook away the sadness that was clutching at my shoulders, attempting to drag me down. I would let it do no such thing. Edward had forgiven me for hurting him, and never had I been happier than I was now with Rosalie. With one final glance towards that mirror, I took a tenacious step forward into Rosalie's waiting arms.

"Everything is going to be okay, Bella, I promise."

I was not sure if she was referring to the situation with Alice, or the fact that some distant shadow of my heart broke right in two as I stared into the room that once belonged to the first love of my existence.

Rosalie squeezed me gently and kissed me on the forehead before shooing me towards Alice's room and the makeover chair of doom.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Chapter 18: Here it finally is! More Alice in next chapter.**

Rosalie's POV

_Damn it. Don't these people know how to close a door?_

I'd hoped that someone in my family would have sense enough to close the door to Edward's now vacant room. Unfortunately, no one did, and I swear I could almost hear some small piece of Bella's heart breaking anew as she gazed into the empty space that formerly belonged to the first person she had given her heart to. I was simultaneously saddened, because Bella was, and jealous, in a sense. I knew that Bella's wounds were fresh, but wasn't I beginning to heal them well enough? I hated that I couldn't help Bella, especially now, when she needed it the most. Maybe I just could not yet reach this part of Bella that was aching. So, I did what I could, which was squeeze Bella's hand as she stared into that mirror on Edward's wall, searching for something only she could find.

I would not allow Bella's good mood to disappear for good, so, before she could sink into the depths of her guilt and anguish, I lightly tugged on Bella's hand. She looked into the room for a final time, and then stepped forward into my arms. I pulled her close to me and whispered,

"Everything is going to be okay, Bells, I promise."

I felt her nod against my shoulder. I squeezed Bella with extreme care, and kissed her on the forehead. Then, I released her, and pushed her toward the door that led to Alice's bedroom.

"Makeover chair of doom, here I come," Bella said with a playful grimace.

"I heard that," Alice said, swinging open the bedroom door before Bella had a chance to knock. Bella jumped, startled by Alice's unexpected closeness. "And there is nothing doomed about my makeover chair, or anything in my closet, for that matter. Except those acid-washed jeans. Those jeans were the hottest thing last decade, weren't they, Rose? I doubt they'll have the comeback that the rest of the fashion of that time unfortunately had."

"Hot? If you say so. I always found them absolutely hideous."

"I concur," Bella piped up. "Let's get this party started."

She sighed.

Alice swiftly moved to stand behind her swiveling, state-of-the-art salon chair.

Although technically we were standing in Alice's closet, the room, when empty, could easily have been mistaken for a department store, or aircraft hangar. The closet was the size of the entire family room and kitchen, plus thirty-seven or so square feet. There was friendly debate amongst the coven whether an area bigger than the master bedroom could even be called a closet. Alice was of the opinion that a closet has no defining dimensions, and therefore any room that held clothes and shoes, whether the size of Neiman Marcus or the Forks High School restroom stalls, was a closet. No one had the patience to argue with Alice since she knew the points you were going to make even before you did.

"Bella, come sit. Rose, where are the clothes?" Alice asked, her voice dripping with excited anticipation.

Bella moved forward; I was back with the shopping bags before she was halfway to the chair.

"Like you really have to ask, Alice. I can smell you all over these."

She grinned.

"See, Bella, I told you. She is horrible."

"New clothes," Alice shrugged in explanation. "I mean, honestly, have you not learned, after all this time, that trying to keep me away from anything slightly related to fashion is like trying to keep you away from the latest issue of Car & Driver. Impossible."

"No, because if someone seriously threatened my life and/or limbs, I would stay far away from my magazine. You, on the other hand, evidently ignore all threats issued to you."

"Only the ones from you," Alice said. She rolled her eyes and turned to meet the eyes of Bella's reflection. Bella looked both amused at our exchange and frightened of the aerosol and glitter soon to befall her.

"So, Bella. When were you planning on telling me that you were in love with my sister?" Alice asked, abruptly and effectively changing the subject.

"Alice!" I exclaimed, slightly shocked by Alice's brazen words. Knowing Alice, it should not have surprised me at all.

"No, Rose. She kind of has a point."

"No, she doesn't. It's only been two days that things have been official," I countered.

"Which leaves a forty-eight hour period that was ripe for a confession," Alice concluded.

"Didn't you see it coming?" Bella asked.

"Of course. Who do you think I am, Madame Zegonia of page eleven of the Yellowpages? Come on, guys. You're not dealing with an amateur here."

Bella's POV

So Alice had known all along of Rosalie's feeling for me and of mine for Rosalie. I hoped that she didn't know every detail, every question I asked of myself when I was with Edward and thinking of Rose, every lie I told to cover the real reason I seemed distracted by something.

"How long have you known? How did you find out? What was the vision of?" I hit her with a barrage of questions.

"Bella! One at a time! Please!" Alice laughed. "I had the vision a few months ago. It was shortly after you moved here, but I wasn't sure what to make of it. What I saw was you and Rosalie in the living room, talking. Bella, you were asking Rosalie how to explain to Edward that you were and always had been in love with his sister. I suppose you could technically have been speaking about me, but I assumed it was Rosalie. Especially since that explained Rosalie's recent behavior. I mean, you have always been a bitch, Rose, but sometimes you were worse than normal. That kind of thing seems suspicious, you know."

By now, Alice was running a brush through my hair. I winced as I felt her approaching the tangles, anticipating the tinge of pain. However, as Alice stated before, she was no amateur. She was through the few tangles and was finished brushing my hair in the time it would have taken me to brush one strand.

"So, what made you keep quiet?" Rosalie asked.

"It was not my secret to tell. Besides, like I told you, my visions are not always certain. True, there are not many, if any, other possible explanations for what I saw, but I was confused. Without the vision, I never would have reached the conclusion that you two were madly in love. I would have remained in the dark until one of you burst from the sexual tension."

I blushed, predictably.

"Damn it, Alice. Do you ever shut up?"

I watched in the mirror as Alice turned to Rosalie, silent, but only because of the hair clip she clasped lightly in her teeth. She grabbed my hair with a gentle flourish and twisted it to lie in a loose bun on the top of my head. She removed the clip from her teeth and secured my hair to my head. All of this was completed without a glance in my direction.

"Only when absolutely necessary," Alice finally answered. "Now. Your hair has been prepped, the curling and straightening irons are each preheating, and there is a slew of hair product waiting to be slopped into your hair. I'm talking stuff that Paul Mitchell couldn't get his hands on if he traded his first-born. But first, makeup!"

Alice flitted back and forth from various shelves in her closet to the vanity at which I sat. Each time, she returned with a small container or brush. Even if my life depended on it, I could not have identified even a quarter of the things Alice utilized. I recognized the basics: a mascara wand, an eyelash curler, lip liner, a powder pouf. Beyond that, I was lost.

"Are you sure all of this stuff is even legal?"

"Yes. Not all of them in the continental United States, but somewhere in the world…. Relax, Bella. I'm only kidding! Wow. You are spending at least a week with me this summer and I am going to teach you everything you will ever need to know about clothes, shoes, hair, makeup, handbags, and etcetera. You'll come here as a Rebecca and leave here as Miss Becky Lynn!"

"What in the hell is that even supposed to mean?"

"_¡__Dios mi! _You youngsters kill me. In the early seventies, there was this really horrible horror movie called 'Debutaunt,' spelled t-a-u-n-t, not t-a-n-t-e. It's about this really homely girl named Rebecca who goes to live with her wacky, glamorous aunt that teaches her all about clothes and makeup. Rebecca becomes just as glamorous and starts making all these friends and has all these boys chasing after her. She changes from this plain depressed girl to a vibrant social butterfly. It's so beautiful."

"And the horrific part?" I inquired, unsure if I really wanted to know.

"Well, she goes to sleep-away camp with her cheerleading squad and gets possessed by a demon and slaughters the whole camp. But you're not a cheerleader, and you're too old for summer camp, so… yay!"

"Rose, find Alice's cannabis stash and take it far away, immediately," I joked.

Rose laughed. The beauty of the sound still took my breath away.

"Never make fun of the person responsible for applying your makeup," Alice said.

"My apologies. Are you almost finished?"

"Yes. Time for lipstick, so shut your mouth."


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N:**** Because I am a gracious overlord, there will be EVEN MORE ALICE CULLEN in the next chapter. :P**

**Seriously, though, more Alice. Yay! :D**

**More chapters coming shortly! There's still the retirement party to look forward to, as well as Bella and Rosalie's official announcement of their relationship to the Cullen family (not necessarily in that order). Despite the fact that everyone already knows, it still won't be an easy 'confession.' **

**After those two things are out of the way, who knows what could happen? Oh, wait... I do! And I promise you're gonna love it, so be sure to stay tuned. ;D**

**P.S. Thanks for the reviews!**

**P.P.S. The next chapter will begin with Bella's POV. But worry yourselves not! There will be plenty of Rosalie. :)**

**P.P.P.S. 'Capisce' is Italian for 'understand.' :)**

**ENJOY. :)**

Rosalie's POV

Alice carefully traced the lipstick around the edges of Bella's lips. I looked on silently, an amused smile on my face. Of all the ways I'd imagined my life would change once I was with Bella, this was hardly the scene I'd pictured.

Alice's revelation of sorts came as no surprise. I was relieved that Alice saw a relatively mild part of my relationship with Bella. This whole thing was awkward enough without Alice having visions of me ogling Bella. I could imagine the taunting now. I said a silent prayer of thanks for vision Alice received, or rather the ones she did not receive, and then turned my attention back to the conversation at hand.

"Alice, tell Bella why you loved the movie 'Debutaunt' so much."

"Well, I had a cameo in it, actually."

"Are you serious? I mean each person in your family is gorgeous enough to single-handedly put half of Hollywood out of work, but I would have thought that the hours would have made the whole daylight situation a problem," Bella said.

"Ha. The 'daylight situation.' I love how you phrase things sometimes, Bella," Alice said. "Actually, it was filmed right here in Washington. Plenty cloudy. Besides, the scene I was in was filmed in the evening, at my… suggestion."

"So the dazzling is not a recent addition to your repertoire?"

"Certainly not. It's always worked. No need for new tricks. If it isn't broken, don't fix it, as they say," Alice answered.

"Yeah, I guess. So what part did you play, anyway?"

"I was the first girl that Becky murders at camp. It was grisly and then some. Luckily, they used stage blood and not animal blood, unlike some of the other horror movies back then."

"Those were mainly rumors, Alice."

"Yes, but better safe than sorry. A vampire in a feeding frenzy would be bad for production."

"I bet," Bella began, "So, Rosalie, you wouldn't happen to have a copy of this movie lying around anywhere, would you?"

"Rose, don't you dare," Alice began, warningly.

"Aww. Isn't Alice adorable when she's menacing, Bella? I guess she should have stayed out of my shopping bags after all."

"Fine. But we're finishing this first," Alice replied, gesturing towards the bag containing my dress. "And Bella," Alice continued, "Make one crack, and I mean _a single one_, about my hair in this movie, and I will dismember you. Slowly. Capisce?"

"Affirmative," Bella answered.

"As for you, Rosalie Hale, I hate you."

"Oh, but I _loooove _you, Alice Cullen," I replied in a singsong voice, grinning. Then, "Ah! You did not just flip me off!"

Alice shrugged and turned her attention to Bella's hair. After six or so minutes of continuous combing, cutting, coiffing, curling, and God only knew what else, Alice announced the completion of Bella's hair makeover.

"I love being a vampire," Alice crooned. "This would have taken hours in a salon, Bella."

"Wow," Bella said, gazing at herself in the mirror. "It looks amazing, Alice, really."

And it did. Bella's dark auburn hair shone beautifully in the light. Gently spiraling layers framed her face and fell over her shoulders.

"I'm glad, but not surprised, that you like it. Now, let's get to the dress!" Alice squealed.

Bella's POV

Alice on a normal day was like the Energizer Bunny. Alice on a makeover day, however, was like the Energizer Bunny on steroids and a sugar high. She squealed when it was time for me to get dressed, and I looked at each mirror in the room, surprised they had remained intact.

"Shatterproof glass," Rosalie said, almost as if she could read my mind.

"Now, I'm gonna help you get this dress on so you don't mess up your hair or makeup, both of which look absolutely fabulous. And, I know, it's a dress you step into," Alice interrupted herself. To interrupt me. Before I spoke. Vampires are fun, right? "But knowing just how much grace you lack, I would rather not risk starting over from scratch."

"You know, this 'look-at-the-clumsy-human' bit is getting kind of old," I stated confidently. I then stumbled gracefully over my own feet. Alice just stared at me, and Rosalie was staring at the floor, biting her lip to keep from laughing. I took a second to sort myself. "Shut up and get the dress."

Alice gently unfolded my dress from its bag. Rosalie came to stand beside me.

She said, "Even you have to admit that you have amazing comedic timing," and laughed. Then, "I'm stepping outside while you change. As soon as you guys are finished in here, I will be back," she promised and kissed me on the lips.

"Rose," I started, "you don't have to-"

"Things are different now, Bella. I don't want to make you uncomfortable, and you know I would, whether you admit it or not. So, just get your dress on and then let me see you," Rosalie replied, then leaned her forehead against mine and stage whispered, "I will be in the hallway. If Alice gets too close with the glitter, just call my name, and I will be right back by your side to help fight her off, okay?" Then her whisper became genuine, though it certainly did no good with Alice standing by, "I'll never be too far away, Bella, I promise."

I laughed at Rose's remark about the glitter and then nodded. I watched her make her exit, silently grateful that she knew me well enough to leave, and to not make a big production of it. Once the door was closed and Rosalie was safely on the other side, I began to remove my wrinkled clothing. Alice was by my side, dress in hand, immediately.

"Do you ever get bored moving so slowly? I don't mean that in an insulting way. It's just that I don't remember how it is to be a human, as far as details go, and I'm curious. I have gained patience over the years, but still, it drives me insane to maintain a human pace at school and in town. You've spent a substantial time around me and my family, so I wonder: do you ever watch us move and wish you could move in the same way?"

"Sometimes. I mean, I think the agility and balance could come in handy, and the speed especially would be fun. Plus, I could actually get to some of the places I've wanted to hike to but never before could reach before nightfall. So, sometimes, I do wish I could move in the same way. Other times, though, I am just thankful to be able to move at all, and I'm not sure what I would do with all the extra ability anyway."

"Good answer. By the way, thanks for not freaking out about the fact that we're all vampires. I don't know if any of us have ever told you before, but it does mean a lot to have someone who understands and trusts us just as they would any other person."

"You're welcome, Alice. You guys are some of the best people I know, honestly."

"Thanks. Okay, enough deep conversation for one millennium. Let's get this dress on you. Gosh, it's gorgeous, isn't it?"

"I wouldn't have chosen an ugly dress, Alice."

"Ha. You didn't see the dress you're thinking of wearing to prom. Not a good idea, Bella. Puce is definitely not your color."

"I'll keep that in mind when I go dress shopping, which will be months from now," I promised, somewhat sarcastically.

"Good," Alice replied in all seriousness. Blonde may have been Rosalie's hair color, but sometimes it was Alice's mindset.

I was down to my skivvies now, standing on a platform in front of Alice's three-way mirror. Alice was carefully removing the tags from the dress. She placed the tags back in the bag and then walked my way, dress in hand.

"Let's do this."


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N:**** Long chapter ahead. Enjoy. :)**

Bella's POV

"Let's do this," Alice trilled, loping quickly toward me with the sleek green sheath in hand.

"Let's," I concurred.

Alice reached the small platform on which I stood and hopped gracefully to stand beside me on the small pedestal. I stared at her beautiful face, reflected a few inches below mine in the large mirror. Alice gently unzipped the dress and held it out for me to step into. Offering me her shoulder to steady myself with, Alice cautioned me to watch my step.

"Zip me up, please," I told Alice after I was safely in the dress.

"Sure thing," she replied, moving to stand behind me. Ever the professional, Alice zipped the dress without bringing her frosty skin in contact with mine, and then grabbed a lint roller from the menagerie of beauty miscellanea in her closet. Gently, she made a few passes along the length of my dress, concentrating on my back, until all the unwelcome dust and hair was gone. Alice replaced the lint roller and then was back on the platform, by my side once more.

"Look at yourself, Bella. Rosalie is right. You are definitely a total knockout. You've got to be one of the most beautiful people I know, period."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Alice," I said, in a jokingly chiding manner, blushing all the while.

"It's not flattery if it's true, Isabella."

"Thanks," I half-shrugged, smiling.

"Alice, stop hitting on my girlfriend!" Rosalie shouted through the door. I busted out in laughter at the unexpected interruption.

"Hardy har har. Jokes aren't funny when you see them coming. Now if you don't get your butt in here, I'll be doing a lot more than just hitting on her."

The door to the closet opened almost instantaneously.

Rosalie's POV

I rolled my eyes at Alice's joke. It was not nearly as funny as she thought. Maybe I was being a little over-possessive, but I didn't find Alice funny at all, even though I knew she was only kidding.

I walked into the closet, glaring at Alice.

"Oh, get over it already," Alice said. "I just said that for Bella's benefit. Besides, I am quite content with my own hunky piece of 'man-candy.' Bella's virtue is safe from me."

Bella coughed, apparently trying to remind Alice and me that she was still in the room.

"Sorry, hon. Wow," I said, turning to face Bella for the first time, "you look amazing."

"Thank you. I'm glad you found this dress. It's even more gorgeous than I remember."

I walked up to stand behind Bella and placed my chin on her shoulder as we both gazed into the mirror.

"I could say the same for you," I whispered, tenderly wrapping my arms around Bella's waist.

"But that would be really cheesy," Alice said from her spot near Bella's box, where apparently she was searching for the perfect shoes for Bella's dress.

"Shut up, Alice. Seriously."

She merely laughed at my feeble attempt to keep her quiet.

"Bella, I know you won't like this much, but I found the perfect heels for that dress you're wearing. The heel measures no more than two inches, so don't worry about falling down Even Charlie could walk through fire in these and come out in perfect condition on the other side. I got these on my last trip to Paris. Honeymoon number six for Jasper and me, that trip was. Oh, you should have seen Paris in the sixties, Bella! Amazing. Anyway, I think these are considered vintage now, so you get extra style points."

"They don't look that bad," Bella agreed. "How many honeymoons have you had?"

"We just took our seventeenth. Antarctica. Lots of penguins."

"What is there to do in Antarctica? Besides look at penguins."

"Uh, well, you know. Stuff," Alice said. If she could have blushed, she might have then, except that Alice was by nature a brash individual and was never ashamed of the words she spoke.

The room grew silent. I falsely coughed, and then walked over to Alice and took the shoes from her hand.

"Alice, why don't you go down to the kitchen and bring Bella a glass of orange juice, please."

"Sure thing." She was gone in a flash.

"Here. Come sit," I told Bella. I gestured to the salon chair. "Give me your foot," I said, once Bella was seated. I kneeled at Bella's side, Prince Charming style, and placed her foot on my knee. I slid the black shoe easily onto her bare foot. "Perfect fit," I said with a smile. I slid the other shoe onto to Bella's remaining bare foot and then got to my feet and pulled Bella to hers. Never one to easily change her ways, Bella stumbled at first, but I caught her before any permanent damage was done. Once steadied, Bella walked a partial length of the closet and didn't stumble even once.

"I might actually like these," Bella whispered. "Just don't tell Alice I said that or she'll take that as permission to go overboard."

"Yeah, because a box marked 'Bella,' filled with clothes, makeup, and shoes, does not already scream 'overboard.' Right."

"You do realize we are speaking of Alice Cullen, correct? This. Is. Nothing."

Bella's POV

"You do present a valid point."

"Thank you."

Alice came back into the room at that moment. I was grateful for the orange juice she brought with her, but completely unthankful for what I saw clutched in her other hand.

"Alice, is that a camera?"

"Hey, that was part of the deal, Bella! You dented my car, remember?" Rosalie reminded me.

_Dang it. Stupid easily-dented car._

"Okay. But, on two conditions. One, we take no more than fifty pictures, which is overly gracious of me, might I add, and, two, no one sees these pictures but you, me, and Rosalie."

"Yes to number one. No to number two. Add Charlie, Carlisle, and Esme to the list and then I'll agree."

"Deal."

Alice lightly shook my hand and agreed,

"Deal. Okay," she said, stepping back, "I want some pictures of you by yourself first."

"Just tell me where to stand."

"Sit, actually," Alice gestured towards her bedroom and then walked into it, beckoning for me to follow. She directed me to an antique chair positioned by her window. The sun streamed through the window and lighted on the seat of the piece of beautiful Victorian era furniture. Alice reached into the beam of sunlight to adjust the position of the chair, and as she did so, the beams reflected on the millions of diamond-like facets in her skin, throwing prisms of light across my face and the room. It was blinding, but beautiful, like the surface of the ocean at mid-day.

I sat carefully in the chair, afraid that its antique wood would splinter beneath my clumsy frame. Luckily, no creaks sounded as I sat down. I took that as a good sign. I studied the trees outside the window as Alice made her own adjustments to the camera. As I was watching a bird flit around from branch to branch, I heard the camera shutter click.

"You're gonna love that one, Bella," Alice said quietly. I felt a small blush begin to creep into my cheeks.

"Here," Alice said, "put your hands up this way." She easily maneuvered my arms into the position she was talking about. "Forty-nine shots to go!"

Sitting in the chair. _Click._

Standing in the doorway. _Click._

Lying on the bed. _Click._

The photo shoot went on for an hour. The three of us took turns both behind and in front of the camera. Unfortunately, most of my time was spent in front of it. I posed alone for the majority of the shots, but I took pictures with Rosalie and then with Alice. The fiftieth and final shot was one of Rosalie, Alice, and me, laughing as we raced to beat the camera's self-timer. Well, I raced. They just kept pace with me. By the photo shoot's end, I was exhausted, but Alice appeared to be even more exhilarated than before.

"Bella, thank you so much for letting me play dress up," Alice exclaimed, bounding towards me and then enveloping me in a tight hug.

"Well, I didn't have a choice, but you're welcome. I almost actually had a little bit of fun."

"Only a little bit?"

"_Almost _a little bit. I won't go far enough as to say it was the greatest experience of my life, but I've had worse."

Her face abruptly went blank.

"Alice? Are you okay?"

A few seconds later, Alice resurfaced to the real world. And then she giggled.

"I'm fine. You guys have to get out of here though. Jasper's on his way home."

"Is that what you saw?" I pondered.

"Well…," Alice began.

"La, la, la," Rosalie trilled, "Don't want to hear this. Neither do you, Bella, trust me."

"Oh. Wow. Hmm. _That_ kind of vision, huh?"

"Hey, I have no choice as to what see," Alice pouted, defensive.

"Anyway," Rosalie began loudly, obviously changing the subject, "Alice, I'm sure you'll get those pictures to Bella as soon as they're ready, right?"

"Sure thing," she said. She handed me a bag that contained my clothes and a bottle or five of different hair products. She must have noticed my confusion because she then explained, "We did a lot to your hair today. You're gonna need some help with the cleanup, which is where all that stuff comes in. The biggest bottle is what you're going to use first. Basic shampoo. The rest are numbered. Numbers four and five are for you to put in your hair after your shower. The day we do your hair for the party, you need to repeat this process to prepare your hair, but skip step three. Got it?"

"If not, I'll call you," I promised, slightly befuddled by Alice's instructions.

"I'll be expecting my phone to ring."

"Maybe you'll see it coming. In between all your naughty visions, of course," I winked and laughed.

"Touché," Alice replied and rolled her eyes, "Now get out of here."

"Thanks again, Alice," I said. I followed Rosalie out of Alice's bedroom and she pointed me in the direction of one of the Cullen home's many, many bathrooms.

"Go change in there, and I'll meet you downstairs."

"Can't wait." I smiled and bit my lip, which Rosalie apparently took to be an invitation. She sidled closer to me and buried one hand in my hair. Her other hand snaked around my waist to rest at the small of my back. Just as our lips were about to touch, someone bounded up the stairs. Rosalie and I untangled ourselves, but stayed in close proximity as the intruder stared at us, a shocked expression on his face.

Rosalie chewed her lip to keep from laughing.

I spoke first, somewhat timidly, afraid of what might happen next.

"Hi, Jasper."


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N:**** Short chapter. Chapter 22 is coming very soon. :)**

**Also, I dedicate this chapter to Ookami_Z, my bestest friend on the entire planet, just because I can. :) If any of you read fanfic for Mai-HiMe/Mai-Otome (Or however you're supposed to write it... I've no idea! Don't judge me, Yanely! :P) check her stories out.**

Rosalie's POV

"Hi, Jasper," Bella said. I was doing my best not to laugh. This situation was awkward, not to mention completely comical. I wasn't worried about what Jasper would think, and I was secure enough in my relationship with Bella to not be embarrassed by our now public show of affection.

"I'll bet that this is what Alice saw happening," I whispered to Bella, who was still in my arms.

"And her not warning us is payback for keeping her in the dark," Bella finished.

"In the dark about what exactly?" Jasper, finally able to speak again, it would seem, asked.

"Well, Jasper," I started, "Bella and I are dating."

"Each other," Bella clarified, just in case Jasper was having a dense moment.

"I see," Jasper replied after a silent moment. Another silent moment followed.

"That's it? Two words, really?" Bella asked incredulously.

"What do you want me to say, Bella?"

Bella took a step away from me and walked towards Jasper. I knew this was about to get more entertaining.

"I don't know! Something more creative than 'I see.' I mean, holy crow! You're over a hundred freaking years old, for crying out loud! You hail from a more eloquent time, before everything was all ''yo, what up, homes!' I really expect more from you than just 'I see!'"

I felt a strange calm invade the room as Bella's rant continued to its abrupt end.

"I really hate it when you cheat that way, Jasper," Bella sighed in defeat.

"I had to do something; I was beginning to fear for my life," Jasper joked. "I apologize for my brief response. I think it's wonderful that you and Rosalie are together. A bit confusing, to say the least, but we all know Alice will be unable to keep the details to herself, so I'll no doubt be filled in shortly."

"Apology accepted," Bella said, nodding, "I'm sorry I went off on you a little bit. I'm just tired. I was studying all morning and then...." She gestured vaguely down the hallway.

"Alice," Jasper and I responded simultaneously, me in explanation, Jasper in understanding and acknowledgement.

"Anyway, Bella and I were just about to leave. Alice is expecting you, of course. Oh, and tell Alice I said that payback is hell."

"Will do. Bye, y'all."

Jasper turned and walked into the room he shared with Alice, who was no doubt listening to every word that passed between the three of us standing in the hall.

"Go ahead and go change, Bella, and then we'll…. Well, I don't know what we'll do, but we'll be getting out of here, that's for sure."

Bella's POV

I walked into the bathroom and was amazed by its size. Yes, I had seen the room before, but it was just _that_ amazing. I sighed, thinking of my own bathroom at home, the bathroom I shared with my father, a grown man that still could not seem to find and utilize the hamper for dirty clothes. At least he didn't leave the toilet seat up anymore. There's always a bright side.

I changed into my 'street clothes,' being extremely careful with my gorgeous green dress. Once I finished dressing and placed my dress in the bag, I took a quick look at myself in the mirror. I was still flushed from the encounter with Jasper, and my glitzy hairstyle looked completely out of place with my outfit of a flannel shirt and jeans. I looked happy, though, and that realization caused me to smile even more.

I exited the bathroom to find Rosalie patiently waiting for me. She outstretched her hand as I stepped into the hallway, and a huge, stunningly beautiful smile spread across her face. I took her hand and we made our way down the stairs, out into the garage, and into Rosalie's car, this time with me safely in the passenger's seat and Rosalie driving.

"So, where are we going?" I asked.

"On a walk…. A short one! I promise!" Rosalie continued, interjecting before I could object.

"Fine. I wanted to talk to you anyway," I replied.

"Yeah?"

I nodded and then returned the subject to our destination.

"So, are we there yet?" I asked.

"No."

"How about now?" I asked a moment later.

"Nope."

I waited a minute or two.

"Are we there yet?"

"No! Isabella Swan, do _NOT_ make me turn this car around!"


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N:**** Longer chapter, yay! Like twenty-something words short of being twice the length of the last chapter. Little bit of drama for yo' mama at the end, but nothing major. Also, here's a timeline-type-thingamabob just to let you know how this whole thing is going (besides **_**fast**_**, which you already knew):**

**Sunday: **Rosalie's fight with Edward, Bella discovers that Rosalie's not just in love with herself.

**Friday (five days after): **Edward leaves town for Alaska (so he can see Russia?).

**Saturday (six days after): **Bella and Rosalie talk and talk and talk, Emmett and Rosalie talk, Edward returns _much_ earlier than expected.

**Sunday (one week after): **Bella and Edward talk and are _**officially**_ over, Rosalie and Bella become officially together, and go dress shopping and make out.

**Monday (eight days after Rosalie & Edward fight): **Rosalie and Bella go for a study session, Alice goes Extreme Makeover, and Jasper goes temporarily speechless. Also, this chapter happens.

**Also, this chapter is dedicated to **pearlsnpolos16**,** **who reviews ****each chapter****, without fail, even if her reviews usually consist of a grand total of two words. Hey, it's the thought that counts! **

**Thanks! :D**

Rosalie's POV

"Are we there yet?" Bella asked.

"No! Isabella Swan, do _NOT_ make me turn this car around!"

We both laughed.

"Yes ma'am. Seriously, though, do you even have a clue as to where we're going? It feels like we've been in this car for hours."

"We're going to a park I've known of since before roads threatened to destroy everything. However, a generous 'anonymous' donation to the National Parks Foundation enabled the preservation of the park, and so it's no longer in danger. I want to show it to you. As far as being in this car for hours, it's been twenty minutes, Bella. Seriously."

"Wow. Time flies when you're having fun. Oh, wait a minute…," she teased.

"Ouch. That hurts. You know always have fun with me. 'Tis impossible not to," I countered.

"Well, we haven't been together for long enough to tell. It's only been…," Bella faltered. I could hear the exuberance fading from her voice with each word she spoke, "Two days. Wow, Rose. Two days. It's only been eight days since your fight with Edward." She nearly whispered the next words, "Two weeks ago, this would have been Edward and me on the way to some place or another."

Bella's POV

There was a silent moment as we each pondered what I had just said. Meanwhile, Rosalie steered the car into the small clearing that served as a parking lot for the park. The only noise was coming from the engine of the car and that ceased as Rosalie put the car into park and removed the key from the ignition. Both of us still seated, Rosalie took my hand in hers. I briefly gave her hand a hard squeeze and flashed Rosalie a slightly less-than-genuine smile. Then, I opened the door and stepped out into the dreary day. Rose followed suit and locked the doors of the car as she walked towards the trailhead where I was waiting.

We began walking on the path. Each side of the well-trodden dirt path was lined with trees and their branches met overhead, creating a natural canopy.

We had walked in silence for a few minutes before Rosalie spoke.

"Bella, what you said earlier," Rosalie began carefully, "Well, it makes me think you want to say something else. What is it?"

"I didn't mean for it to sound like anything, Rosalie. I…," I took a deep breath, preparing myself for the onslaught of words to come. "This is what I wanted to talk to you about. I don't want this relationship to end badly just because it was rushed into. I mean, I love Edward and I was with him for a long time. And then, all of a sudden, I found out that you were in love with me and I dropped Edward like a fiery rock. It took a week, Rosalie, a week! One Sunday I was with Edward, and the very next Sunday, yesterday, I was with you. This… 'us' doesn't _feel_ rushed or wrong, but maybe it actually is and I just can't feel it yet. Or maybe it's not wrong and I'm just looking for something negative that just is not there at all. Maybe things are actually as perfect as they seem and are going to keep being perfect and I'm just missing it all by being stupid…. Say something, Rose!"

I wasn't sure what else to say. Heck, I wasn't sure exactly what I'd already said. Words were suddenly flowing uncontrollably.

"I'm figuring out what I _can_ say. You are right, after all; one week isn't nearly long enough to make such a change, normally. But, ours are hardly normal circumstances, Bella. You didn't drop Edward to date Mike Newton or some other person you'd never before had feelings for. It was for me, a girl you've loved since day one, and hell, you didn't _drop _Edward, period. You explained your feelings to him, you didn't leave him hanging. _He understands_. I know you, Bella. You would never have chosen me if you thought it was the wrong thing to do in any way. You followed your heart, but I _know_ you used your head as well. But, Bella, if you need time," Rosalie began.

"No, Rosalie, it's not like that," I replied in a softer voice than I had used before. "I love you, obviously. I'm not questioning you and me, I'm questioning the way that you and I became an 'us.' I've worried over it before, but only because I don't want it to ever come between us. I would love to think that we are beyond that and that nothing will ever come between us, ever, but no couple is perfect. We're only human, so to speak. I don't want to look back on this if it ends and wonder if things would have been different if we'd waited a week or something."

"I understand what you're saying, Bella, but I honestly think your fears are unfounded, okay? I've waited to have you for such a long time. I've been in love with you for ages, and if I remember correctly, you said you'd been in love with me for ages, too. What would change if you'd had another week? Would you have chosen to be with Edward? Forgive my overconfidence, but I don't see a week changing the fact that you chose me."

I sighed, "You know what, you're right. It wouldn't change anything. I'm sorry, I was just being stupid. I don't even know what I was rambling on about. And the thing about Edward and me heading somewhere, I was just saying. I really didn't mean anything by that. I still love him, but not in the same way anymore. Just forget I mentioned anything at all."

"Don't do that, Bella. Don't apologize for telling me the truth about how you feel. That's what will kill this relationship, if anything can. You know exactly what you were talking about, and it makes perfect sense. Things are happening fast now. To me, I've been waiting on this for a long time, so it seems right. To you, it's understandable that you feel rushed."

"Thanks, but let's just forget I ever said anything."

Rosalie's POV

"Sorry, but no can do. Memory like an elephant, here, remember?"

Bella laughed and the sound dispelled some of the gloom that had collected around our happiness.

"Anyway, speaking earlier of Emmett, how's he doing?"

"Emmett is still hurting, but he is at least beginning to joke around again. He asked me yesterday if he could start watching us make out," I chuckled, and then stared at the ground, nearly overwhelmed by a sudden pang of melancholy. I shook it off and brought myself back to the present.

"If Emmett weren't a vampire, would he still have such a seemingly easy time getting used to things?" Bella pondered.

"Well, vampires do have a quick recovery time, so to speak, but Emmett in particular has such a buoyant personality that it is hard to keep him down for long. Even if he didn't, though, it would not be long before he was back to normal. Those of us vampires that are somewhat 'antique' tend to count months the way humans count days. To Emmett, though it's been hardly a week since we broke up, this hurt is hardly fresh. He will never forget it, of course, but he will learn to be at peace with my decision."

I told Bella these things to ease her guilt. I hadn't lied; Emmett really was coming to terms with the current situation, but we were not on such good terms as I had implied to Bella. In reality, things were still tense between Emmett and me. When he cracked the first friendly joke about my relationship with Bella, we had just crossed paths in the garage. After his joke, I tentatively placed my arms softly around his waist without thinking, eager to earn back his trust and friendship. Emmett's back stiffened at my unexpected touch and he easily backed out of my embrace.

"See you later, Rose," he'd said, and then hopped into his car and departed. I'd stood in the garage, a bit shocked, until Esme called my name from the kitchen.

I shook my head imperceptibly to clear the memory from my mind. It was painful to think of that day, and with one blemish already on this day, I was eager to move on.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N:**

**- Short chapter, just over a thousand words.**

**- 'Bangs' = fringe (hair)**

**Also, I may be taking a small hiatus from this story. It will be no more than three weeks (likely much less time than that). I need to find some direction for this story before it goes completely down the drain. It could end after just two more chapters, or maybe there are a good dozen chapters left for me to write. Hopefully, I will have that figured out very soon. Thanks for sticking with the story this far, and I hope you will continue to read and review. Please. :D**

**Enjoy. :)**

Bella's POV

"To Emmett, though it's been hardly a week since we broke up, this hurt is hardly fresh. He will never forget it, of course, but he will learn to be at peace with my decision."

Rosalie spoke of Emmett in a hushed tone and the last of her words seemed to be spoken in a reassuring way. However, I was not sure if Rosalie was attempting to reassure herself or me. Once she ceased talking, Rosalie seemed to disappear into her thoughts for a moment.

"It's good that you guys can have back some of what you used to share," I replied, "That is the worst part about this whole situation. I know you loved Emmett, Rose, and it must be hard to have things so tense with him."

"It's not an ideal situation, no, but I wouldn't trade what I have with you now for the entire world, Bella. Make sure you know that. Anyway, what about Edward? I mean, I know you haven't talked to him, but what do you think it will be like once you do?"

"Once, Edward said that he was mine until I ordered him away. He just wants me to be happy, and being with you makes me happy. So, I think it will be tense, but friendly, at best, and severely awkward at worst."

What Rosalie did not know, and what I was in no hurry to divulge to her, was that Edward crossed my mind every day. Sometimes it was because of something Rosalie said, the cadence of her words striking a very hauntingly similar chord to Edward's speech. Other times, it was something in town or school that reminded me of him. Regardless, I thought of Edward often, more often than I would like. I was not falling back in love with him. Rosalie was the only person I would ever want and I planned to be with her for the rest of my human life, and maybe for a long time after that. No, I was not in love with Edward, but I did miss him. Amidst his brooding and self-hatred, we had shared many things, a first love amongst those things. It was not as if I could just pretend that he and I had never been a couple, even if our affair had been less than passionate.

Besides, just a week ago, Edward and I had been a couple, boyfriend and girlfriend, but on a much deeper level than most high school students. Now, I was with Rosalie. I felt as though I should have whiplash from moving so quickly between partners. It was true that Rosalie was technically the first person I fell in love with, but that knowledge did not seem to remedy my unease. It did not seem right to be in love again so quickly and with a different person. More could change in seven days than I thought humanly possible. _Humanly _possible. Maybe that was why I seemed to be the only one affected by this situation. As Rosalie had stated, these circumstances were not your average high school relationship circumstances. I could count on one finger the number of humans I knew that were romantically involved with vampires, and that one was me.

_Maybe I should find some others. _'Seeking: confused and unsure people romantically involved with vegetarian vampires.' _I'm certain there have been stranger things on ._ _We could start a support group. Maybe we would even have matching hats and jackets…._

Rosalie's POV

Bella still seemed upset. I felt as though I was not hearing what she was truly saying. I understood that she felt that our relationship may have been a little hastily begun, but after waiting so long to have Bella for myself that it did not bother me that only a week before I had been with Emmett. As much as I wanted to, I could not understand Bella's unhappiness. Did she not want this relationship as much as I did? She told me that was not the case, and I believed her, but it still did nothing to remedy my unease.

We walked for a moment in silence, each of us pretending to enjoy the scenery while actually we were lost in our own thoughts. Bella was the first to break the silence.

"So, when is this retirement party I've heard so much about?"

"Oh," I said, surprised by what Bella had said. After such a long silence, I had been expecting her to rehash the discussion of whether a week was long enough to make as big a change as she recently had. "It's next Sunday evening. Esme wants you to come over earlier that day, though. Everybody is going to be there, Edward included. I was going to tell you that part earlier, but then I got sidetracked. I'm so sorry."

Bella looked startled by the news that she would be facing Edward sooner than she had probably imagined.

"Oh. No, no…. No, it's fine. I totally get it."

I took Bella's hand.

"Listen, you will be fine, I promise. I will be right by your side, okay? You said yourself that Edward wants nothing more than for you to be happy. You are happy, aren't you?"

"Of course. Happier than I have been in a while, actually."

"I'm glad. However, this brings us back to our earlier conversation. I want to understand, Bella, what you meant earlier."

She sighed in exasperation.

"I don't know if there is another way to phrase what I was saying, Rosalie! A week ago, I was in love with Edward. You, too, but not in exactly the same way, and I was actually _with_ Edward. Now, a mere eight days later, I am no longer with or in love with Edward, and I am both with you. People can't even grow their bangs out in a week, and here I am redistributing my heart entirely."

There was a silent moment. We stood a few steps apart. Bella stared at the sky, and I stared at the ground, letting her somewhat painful words sink in.

"Did you really redistribute it or was it mine all along?"

Bella pulled me close and wrapped me in a fervent hug.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. You know it was always yours," she whispered against my ear, "and you know it always will be."

**A/N:**** Reviews are GREATLY appreciated. They encourage faster updates and give me warm fuzzy feelings. It's a win-win situation that doesn't take much effort at all. Thanks. :D**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N:**** Extra long chapter! Over twenty-five-hundred words. :D **

**No hiatus after all, apparently. Thanks to **LadyGoddess **for reviewing and inadvertently helping me find my way over the mental roadblock that was causing the hiatus. See what magic a simple review can work? :) **

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**P.S. 'MoMA' = Museum of Modern Art**

Bella's POV

I said the words before I thought them through, before I realized that they might be hurtful to Rosalie.

"People can't even grow their bangs out in a week, and here I am redistributing my heart entirely."

"Did you really redistribute it or was it mine all along?"

The sadness in Rosalie's voice struck me like a brick and made my heart ache. I pulled her close and whispered an apology into her ear. The way I had phrased my last statement made it sound as though I had fallen in love with Rosalie on a whim, as though she had meant nothing to me until Edward forced her confession. Hopefully she knew by now that that was not the case, but still I felt the need to apologize to Rosalie for hurting her, even though it had been unintentional. I felt the need to comfort her every time she was hurting, to protect her from all that I could. It was silly thinking that I, a human, would be able to protect a vampire from anything, but I could at least protect Rosalie from a broken heart, and at that I would do my best.

I released Rosalie from the hug after a short while.

"Are you ready to get out of here?" I asked. While talking, we had continued to walk. By now, we were nearing the end of the trail. As tired as I had been before coming here, I was doubly so now, physically and emotionally. When your head battled your heart, it was an exhausting thing, especially when there was no clear winner.

"Yeah, you seem tired."

"Well, not all of us have superhuman energy, okay?" I joked, rolling my eyes in mock indignation.

"I could always carry you," Rosalie offered. I started to laugh, but I caught myself when I realized that Rosalie was being quite serious.

"You're serious, aren't you?"

"Yes, Isabella," Rosalie said, stooping over slightly so that I could hop on her back. "Now, get your good-looking butt up here."

I did as I was told, hopping carefully on Rosalie's back and wrapping my arms around her neck as she hoisted my legs around her waist. I loved these moments of being so close to Rosalie. I loved breathing in the smell that was uniquely her and the feel of her long blonde hair as it tickled my face. I loved her, period.

Rosalie carried me slowly through the park. I surveyed the beautiful scenery around me this time around, rather than ignoring it all to talk incessantly, no matter the subject. I'd learned the hard way that you miss too many good things by losing sight of the moment as it happens. I didn't want to do that again.

"I love you, Rosalie," I whispered into her ear. I smiled as I saw the big grin light up her face.

"I'm rather fond of you as well, Ms. Swan."

"Good," I replied. "Because I plan on being around for quite a while."

"Sounds like a good plan to me."

"It better. Because it's the only plan I've got and I've been working on it for a really, really long time."

"Well, what choice do I have? Can't let all that planning go to waste, now can we?"

"Exactly. I knew you would see things my way."

Rosalie laughed. The action shook me as I clung to her. It seemed as if I had been holding on forever, but the parking lot was still nowhere in sight. Funny how you can lose track of things when you're stuck in your head. I made a mental note to get out of my mind more often.

"Alright, Bella. Hold on tight," Rosalie warned me out of the blue.

I did as I was told but couldn't help but ask why.

"Wha-"

My question was cut off as Rosalie began to run. I let out a small squeak of surprise and heard Rosalie laugh at it. I was too scared to respond. The trees on either side of the path on which we were traveling seemed to blur into one strip of green. It was similar to what I expected to see while driving on the Autobahn at speeds that would most _definitely _earn you jail time in Forks. Well, in Mason County. Forks was not a large enough town to warrant more than an overnight holding facility where criminals were kept until they could be transported to the jail miles away.

_Anyway,_ I thought, beginning to mentally guide my derailed train of thought back onto its tracks. Before I had the chance to continue, however, Rosalie came to a sudden stop. It threw me against her body roughly, something I might have enjoyed had it not hurt so much.

"Here already?" I asked, somewhat dazed from lack of oxygen. I had held my breath as Rosalie ran and hadn't even realized it.

"Yes, ma'am. Your chariot awaits you," Rosalie joked. I hopped down off her back, quite carefully, and luckily avoided inflicting any permanent physical damage upon myself. Rosalie took my hand and guided me to the passenger's side of the car. With a touch of the remote she unlocked the doors of the beautiful BMW and opened my door for me. I climbed in, grateful to be sitting on a solid, non-moving surface, and Rosalie shut my door before walking over to the driver's side of the car and sitting down beside me.

Rosalie's POV

I climbed into the car and sat down beside Bella.

Briefly, I wondered, _Why is it called 'climbing into a car'? You don't actually climb into any car at all. Well, except for those stupid trucks that are jacked up six feet off the ground. _

I shuddered fleetingly at the memory of Emmett's own beefed-up, jacked-up pickup truck. What a hideous creation that monster had been. Emmett was so proud of it, though, like a kindergartener with a less-than-MoMA-material macaroni necklace. He had all but camped out in that truck.

_Wait_. He had camped out in it. Twice, actually. Once by choice, his inner kindergartener at work, I had assumed, dying to try out his new toy, and then again when I'd kicked him out of my room, completely furious with his antics on a day that I'd made it _extremely_ clear I was not in the mood for his silliness. I'm sure he hadn't minded the ousting, though. Sometimes it seemed he liked his truck better than he liked me. Unfortunately for him, however, I was the only immortal of the two. The truck died a painful rattling death from which it could not be revived. Thank God.

I removed myself from memory lane and started my car. I looked over at Bella, half-expecting her to have fallen asleep already. She hadn't, however. She was looking at me expectantly. I felt as though I was missing something.

"Get over here and kiss me already," she said.

And kiss her I did. Our lips met and her hands tangled in my hair just as my hands tangled in her hair. We were pulling one another impossibly closer, silently cursing the car's console that was keeping up separated. Lips met, and then tongues, and Bella and I shared a kiss that was unlike any other. There was no hesitance in our movements, no testing the waters. I was careful, of course, but not overly so. I was aware of Bella's fragility, but I didn't torture myself with it. Yes, it certainly would be easy to lose control with Bella as far as the physical aspect of our relationship was involved, but it was easier still to keep my touches gentle; I knew that if I didn't, there would be no Bella. That was motivation enough for anything.

A few minutes of pure bliss later, Bella and I separated. Her lips were red and her face was flushed. It was a beautiful sight.

"Wow," I sighed. Bella's blush deepened and I couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah. Wow," she agreed. "Now, get me out of here before I fall asleep."

"You can't fall asleep until you get home! Who'll keep me entertained?"

"Fine. You better keep me awake, though. Start talking."

"What about?"

"Hmm. Oh, running. How'd you know it was safe?"

"Didn't hear or smell anyone nearby, so I assumed the coast was clear."

"Nifty trick."

"You bet," I said with a smile. It was silent for a moment.

"I'm about to start snoring," Bella warned.

"Please don't. It's dangerous for you to do adorable things while I'm driving."

"Ew. Since when is snoring adorable?"

"It's generally not. Only when you do it."

"I'm not convinced. The sound of snoring is one of the most obnoxious noises ever. Besides, being in a car with you is never dangerous. Well, unless I'm the one driving."

"Ha. Not likely. I've already learned my lesson there," I teased.

"Psht," Bella scoffed. "It wasn't _that _bad."

I faked a cough as if to change the subject. Bella gave an indignant snort.

"I'm only kidding," I said as I gently squeezed Bella's hand.

"Yeah, you had better be, Miss _Hale_. Or else there'll be _hell_ to pay."

"Joking on my name now, huh? That's low. Not even a good joke, either."

"You're right; that was completely horrible."

"Yes it was."

"You're not supposed to agree. You are supposed to reassure me that I could never make a bad joke no matter how hard I try."

"A relationship built on lies will never last."

"Then since honesty is the hot new thing, I guess I should tell you that the particular shade of blue you're wearing makes you look incredibly sexy. More so than usual, if that's possible."

"I guess you should tell me that," I said, with a giant and unpreventable smile on my face. I was at a momentary loss for words because of Bella's intrepid comment. She seemed to sense that she had gained the upper hand at that moment because a coquettish smile lit her face, a smile that she failingly bit her lip to try and hide. Accompanying that smile was her trademark blush. I sensed that it had taken a lot of courage for her to say something so bold, even though she should never feel shy around me.

I tentatively placed my hand on Bella's thigh, trying my best to come across as gentle and not at all sleazy.

"I could say the same for you, by the way, but I would be lying," I said. "It isn't just a particular shade of blue that makes you sexier. You'd be completely irresistible no matter what you wear." I paused for effect before adding, "Or _don't_ wear, for that matter."

I gave a subtle squeeze to Bella's thigh. The blush Bella displayed had not quite faded and now it was more vibrant than before, fiery red streaks spreading from her cheeks outward. I chuckled to myself with the knowledge that I once again had gained the upper hand, though my motives for telling Bella how attractive she was were purely to let her know I thought so, and had nothing to do with our little game of teasing.

"So, about this party…," Bella began, coyly, her hand wrapping around mine and anchoring it to the spot on her leg. I savored the contact of her warm skin on my icy hand before answering.

"Nothing is final, yet, but I've got a tentative schedule. I'll pick you up at four-o'-clock and bring you to the house. Esme will probably have cooked you something and you'll be guilt-ridden if you don't eat it, so make sure you come hungry. Then, we'll find something for all of us to do until it is time to go to the party, which, by the way, is at that new restaurant in Port Angeles."

"The one with the buffet?"

"Yeah. Dr. Hardwicke rented out their banquet room."

"Oh. How do you plan on passing on the food in front of all those people? Won't it seem strange to not be eating?"

"Well, there'll be some hors d'oeuvres here and there, but it's difficult for people to keep track of how many crab cakes or mini-quiches you eat."

"Hors d'oeuvres? I thought the party was at a restaurant," Bella said, slightly confused.

"It is, but only because the place has a banquet room you can rent out. You just pay a little extra for use of the room than you normally would if you were also having dinner there. There aren't many other options in Port Angeles."

"Hmm. I might have to look into that for Charlie's birthday next year. Oh well, either way, there's always the excuse that you already ate. They just don't have to know what exactly you ate."

"Exactly!" I laughed at the truth in Bella's statement. I would indeed be completely sated before I went to the party, just not by any item that fell in the category of foods that humans normally consumed. No one had to be aware of that fact.

"You know," Bella began, "I think I may just meet you guys at the party. I mean, I'll still go to your house for the pre-party or whatever you'd like to refer to it as, but I'd really like to spend some time with Charlie. It's been a while since he and I have had any time together with just the two of us, you know? I can cook something for him before you pick me up, and that way I'll be able to leave earlier and won't be late to the party. Then, after you pick me up, I'll stay at your place until Charlie gets home. You can drop me back off there on your way, if you don't mind."

"Of course I don't mind. I can pick you up and bring you to the party, too, though, Bella, after your dinner with Charlie. It isn't a problem, really."

"No, I'll be fine. I don't want you to miss the party. I could use the headspace, anyway."

"Okay," I said, not wanting to push the issue. I did worry about Bella, though. Quite often, in fact. She was just so delicate and breakable. Occasionally, she scared me enough that I wanted to wrap her in bubble wrap to keep her safe. And that was only when she was walking across a flat surface. "Just make sure you call me when you're on your way. I'll give you directions so you don't get completely and terribly lost."

"Sounds like a plan."

Bella leaned over to rest her head on my shoulder as I continued to drive, my free hand still tracing circles on the inside of her leg. It was a perfect moment, even as Bella's head began to droop, no doubt weighed down by heavy eyelids that refused to stay open.

I made our way up and down winding roads as Bella slept by my side. I laughed quietly to myself as the car turned into the driveway of my home; Bella had begun snoring.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N:**** Sorry this took so long! My computer is pretty much DEAD. Battery needs replacement soon. Like yesterday. D: Teh suckage.**

**ONE-HUNDRED REVIEWS! And then some [104, total]! It's so awesome! I wasn't expecting to break 100 with the last chapter!**

**Special thanks to the people who reviewed chapter 24 and got us ****to****OVER**** 100!:**

Elphabam/DarkBella **(who reviewed many other chapters to up the count)**, Ookami_Z, queenred12, ethans mom, ladygoddess8, CordeliaHalliwell, pay-day1999, EverlastingMuse, beverlie4055, & sarcasm110011. **Also, the few **anonymous** reviewers. You know who you are. **

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**P.S. If you want to double-check Rosalie's age, or just don't believe me (I don't blame you; can't be too careful with fiction writers... ;D), check page 154 of Eclipse.**

**Disclaimer: The plot & witty dialogue (and all the other dialogue, too) are mine. SMeyer owns the characters as she wrote them & also the Twilight universe. :D**

**Enough author's note-age. ENJOY. :)**

**(& review!)**

Bella's POV

I was somehow aware that the car had slowed and began to turn. Still groggy, I decided to ignore it. When we hit a bump in the road, however, my head jerked forward unexpectedly. _That _I couldn't ignore. I came to my senses reluctantly, but enough to wipe the oh-so-sexy bit of drool from my mouth and massage my now-sore neck.

"Sorry," Rosalie said.

"'S'okay. Where are we?" I managed.

"My house," Rosalie replied.

"Why?" I asked. My mouth felt dry and speaking was a challenge, a challenge my sleep-fogged brain did not seem to be up to completing.

She laughed. "You left your clothes and stuff here, remember?"

"No."

"Well, you did. Besides, Charlie won't be home for another couple of hours. Although, I'm thinking you'll want to head home for a nap, shortly."

I moaned audibly at the thought of an actual nap in my cozy bed. The sound was slightly embarrassing; well, it would have been if I were able to care more at the moment.

"Oh, yes, I would. As long as we stop at the diner first? I really don't want to have to cook for Charlie tonight. He loves their hamburger steak sandwiches, anyway," I continued, yawning.

"No problem," Rosalie replied brightly. Sometimes I wished I could bottle her energy and use it for myself. Unfortunately, I had no such luck. "You sit here and I'll go in and grab your stuff, tout de suite."

"Sounds good," I said, smiling. I loved when my vampire used 'big' words. Although her vocabulary was likely (okay, _definitely_) more immense than mine, I appreciated that she spoke to me as she would a member of her family. She wouldn't "dumb down" her way of speaking, and I admired that about her.

Rosalie got out of the car, leaving the engine running and carefully shutting the door behind her, and moved at vampire speed to the house. I enjoyed the resulting breeze as I reached carefully for the radio. It had many knobs and buttons, but I eventually found the round blue knob that read 'Power'. I pressed it gently, afraid of breaking the obviously expensive stereo system, and waited as the radio began to light up.

"Welcome," said a male computerized voice. I jumped sky high and came dangerously close to emitting a high-pitched girlish shriek. "Play preset one?"

"Um, yes?" I said, tentatively, certainly not used to a talking radio. My own radio didn't even have a way for me to save my favorite stations, much less a computer to save and play them for me.

"Preset one, playing."

Then, a familiar old song began to sound through the speakers of Rosalie's car. Preset one appeared to be an oldies station. Seeing as how Rosalie, born in 1915, was ninety-five years young (human- and vampire-years combined, of course), that was not at all a surprising discovery. I wondered what the other saved stations would play….

"Play preset two," I told the radio, feeling extremely bizarre as I did so.

Opera started to blare throughout the car, part of 'Wandrers' Nachtlied' II, if I remembered correctly from my music classes. It was a peaceful bit of music, and it lulled me closer to once more sleeping than I would have liked.

"Play preset three," I ordered, a little more confidently this time. I expected more of the same, classic or quiet music, or maybe some big band action. My expectations were met. I turned up the radio to better hear the smooth vocals of the song. I loved it. I made a mental note to ask Rosalie to share her music library with me.

"Play preset four," I decided. It was the last, if I was reading the buttons on the stereo correctly. Again, I expected more of the same as from the first three preset stations. Instead, something else began to play. My jaw dropped open in amused disbelief as the heavy bass shook the car.

"Play preset four," I said again, more clearly this time, just in case the radio misunderstood me.

_Did I seriously just think that? '_In case the radio misunderstood me'_. Wow. That's definitely a new one, I think. Then again, I'm sitting in a car in the driveway of a house full of vampires. What's really so strange about a talking radio? Anyway…._

Apparently the radio had understood me just fine. The same song played.

_"Tone, let me tell you one thing: I need fifty dollars to make you holler. I get paid to do the wild thing."_

I mentally surveyed Rosalie's taste in music. Swing, opera, easy listening, and…. Old-school hip-hop?

_Wow._

Then, I heard deliberately heavy footsteps on the ground outside the car; it was Rosalie's attempt to not frighten me with her sudden reappearance by alerting me that she was near. She wouldn't have scared me, anyway, though; I was too busy laughing.

"What's so funny?" she asked, once she was settled in the driver's seat and had placed my bag between my feet in the floorboard.

I couldn't speak yet. I pointed at the radio as Rosalie settled in the car and began driving towards the mouth of the driveway.

"Preset four," I finally managed. "I mean, you have an oldies station, an opera station, and an easy listening station, none of which I found surprising, although, I must admit I was hoping for a bit of bad-ass rock or something. But, anyway.… Old-school hip-hop? Really?"

"Really. Don't hate on my tunes," Rosalie joked. She seemed unperturbed by my laughter at her expense, but I was certain that a lesser person than she would have gotten quite upset. I tried to tone down my amusement, just in case. Vampires might not be green or hulking, but you still wouldn't like them when they're angry.

"I'm not, I promise," I said. "I am simply exploring your mind and attempting to better comprehend your psyche through your creative choices and such," I defended, trying my best to sound like I knew what I was talking about, sleep deprivation be damned.

"You're lucky your truck is too old for its radio to have preset stations. I bet you've got a secret musical weakness that I could tease you about, too."

That shut me up pretty quickly. She was right; I did have a secret guilty pleasure: country music. Not the new stuff, really, not the stuff that could pass for pop music just as easily as country. No, I loved true country music. Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, George Jones. It was a guilty pleasure, one that would remain secret to Rosalie for as long as possible.

_I hope._

Rosalie's POV

Bella had discovered my secret: I had a formerly embarrassing penchant for hip-hop music, and so-called 'classic' hip-hop at that. After endless teasing from my family, I no longer really cared what people thought of my music choices. Well, I cared a little, now, but only where Bella was concerned.

"You got awfully quiet all of a sudden." I said, winking at Bella as we were driving towards her house. "Which means only one thing," I continued, teasingly.

"And what's that?" she said.

"That you indeed have something to hide, musically speaking."

"I assure you that I certainly do not."

"If you say so…."

Time for an experiment.

"Radio, scan," I said.

"What are you doing, Rose?" Bella asked. I heard a hint of unease seep into her otherwise nonchalant tone.

"An experiment," I replied with a smirk, gesturing vaguely towards the radio as if I in fact was _not_ up to no good.

The first station that the radio landed on was a classic rock station. Bella didn't react in any negative way, though she did seem to recognize the song. I heard her humming a bit of the chorus, almost mockingly. Apparently she'd figured out what I was up to.

"Must not be the so-called 'classic' rock, then," I said. "But, that's not the type of music you would be ashamed to listen to, now is it? This is Washington, after all."

Correctly sensing that my question was rhetorical, Bella said nothing, instead choosing to stare straight ahead into the line of Evergreens that hugged the curve of the road ahead.

The next station that played was bluegrass. Only God (and the radio station's manager, I guess) knew why we had a bluegrass station in Washington. Bella visibly tensed as she heard the banjo music. Either she had had a bad experience while canoeing, or I was getting closer and closer to revealing her big secret. I actually giggled, and the sound surprised both Bella any myself.

"Sorry," I said, my giggle fading abruptly. "Too much sugar. That last mountain lion must have been a diabetic."

Bella chuckled at that, but resumed her stoicism, staring out of the windshield at nothing in particular.

"You aren't going to make this easy, are you, Isabella?"

"Not if I can help it. Besides, when have I been known to make things easy?"

That struck a tad too close to our complicated situation, and we both were aware of such. The laughter faded. To change the subject and prevent things from becoming uncomfortable, I changed the radio station by hand. Rap. Bella shook her head rapidly and grimaced, letting me know that rap was definitely not her 'thing.'

"Okay. Next station," I said.

The radio station changed once again. This time, country music blared from my speakers. It was George Jones' "He Stopped Loving Her Today" (a song that was actually decent, if you were into the whole country thing). That much I knew from an unfortunate cowgirl phase I'd gone through. I blamed it on Jasper, naturally. He was my 'twin', after all….

"Next…." Bella's said. I would have switched, had she not sounded so shaken. Her voice trailed off as I turned to look at her in disbelief. Her wide eyes mirrored my own and she was apparently attempting to teleport herself to somewhere far away.

"I never would have guessed! I mean, country music? Really? I've seen your iPod. You don't have anything besides classical music and alternative rock!" I exclaimed, laughing. Of course, most of the laughter was put-on for my own benefit. I wasn't above a little harmless payback for Bella's taunting of my musical tastes earlier.

After all, I am a bitch.

**Don't forget to review!**** :D**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N:**** You have my sincere apology for the fact that I haven't updated in a good while. Computer issues, as I said before. :(**

**Also, since I'm not above pimping out my own writing, go check out my other stories. I've 6 other** Twilight **stories with various pairings, 2 **Supernatural **stories, 1 incomplete set of **The Mentalist **one-shots, and an incomplete set of **Top Gun **drabbles [mostly Ice/Mav, some just general stuff].**

**Please? :)**

**Off-topic stuff****:**

"Supernatural" season finale coming up. Season 5 has been a hell of a ride, and I'll miss it once it's gone. :''( But there will be a Season 6. Oh, yes. Mwahahaha. 3

Also, since (I assume) most of you are probably 90s children like myself, you most likely have _not_ seen the movie called 'Top Gun.'

If you _have not _seen Top Gun, go to and add it to your queue, or go to your friendly neighborhood video store and rent it. [At least YouTube "Top Gun Anthem." _**Fantastic**_ bit of music, trust me.] The movie is great. **(Well, as long as you leave out the parts with Charlie. Who needs Blackwood when you have Kazansky? Not Maverick, for sure. :P)**

If you _have _seen Top Gun, you are made of awesome. :D Mention that you've seen it in your review and then check out my TG drabbles. Please. :)

Another quick movie recommendation: The Green Mile. That one is a **MUST-SEE**. I'm not asking you to rent it, I'm **telling you**(nicely :D) to rent it. You'll love it. If you don't, you are riding the USS FAILboat. (No offense; only kidding. Sort of....)

(The book is amazing, as well. It's my numero uno favorite book of _all timeeeee_. And for me, that's really saying something.)

**On-topic stuff****: **This chapter was way fun to write. :D

**FRENCH TRANSLATIONS:**

**"Mon couer" = "my heart"**

**"Merci beaucoup" = "thank you much" (well, basically :P)**

**"Non" = "no"**

**"Oui" = "yes"**

**ENJOY. :) (AND REVIEW! :DDD)**

Bella's POV

We reached the diner in record time, Rosalie's inner speed demon taking over.

"One hamburger steak platter coming right up. Is that is?"

"Yeah. No! Pie. He likes pie."

"Pie it is. Be right back."

"Wait. You know what? I think I'll go in with you. If I stay out here I'll just end up sleeping again."

"Yeah, probably. Well, let's go then. Beat the rush."

"Yeah, because the Mecca that is Forks Coffee Shop will be simply overrun at dinner time. People will be in want of greasy diner food and unable to satisfy their needs! Chaos will be upon us!"

"Um. Bella, sweetie, are you feeling alright?" Rosalie asked, laughing. Sort of.

"Sorry."

"Has anyone ever told you that you apologize more than necessary?"

"Sor-" I began. Rosalie coughed and arched an eyebrow in my general direction.

"I was going to say _sorority_. Gosh, Rosalie. Stop jumping to conclusions."

"Nice try."

"Thank you. Thank you very much."

"Alright, Elvis. I think Alice's hair products have soaked into your brain. Let's get this done before you start belting out show tunes."

"I've never been one for musicals."

"Well, whaddaya know? A miracle at every turn. Glory hallelujah. Let's go."

Rosalie all but pushed me out of the car at that point. I got out and walked to stand at the front of the car. Rosalie got out and took my hand as she locked the car's doors and then pulled open the door to the diner.

The place smelled of coffee and sausage, a smell that delighted some and was completely revolting to others. Neither reaction described my own, but the smell evoked in me a sense of comfortable familiarity in a way that was neither good nor bad. It just _was._

Rosalie's POV

We stepped into the diner holding hands; Bella entered first, as I held the door, and then I stepped in behind her. The place was emptier than I'd expected, but then again, I didn't have many experiences in restaurants upon which to base my expectations. Things had changed so greatly since my human days, and my 'dining out' nowadays consisted of chasing wild game through wooded areas. There are no diners or drive-throughs if you're a vampire, unless you feed on the patrons. Not a good idea, though I would almost consider it in just a few moments.

Bella and I were waiting in line, laughing at things on the menu (Pig in a poke? How does that sound even _remotely_ appetizing?) when the snickering began. I ignored it at first, not realizing that the laughter was directed towards Bella and me. I began to listen, though, when I heard the two older men in a corner booth refer to Bella in a less-than-savory way.

_"Huh. Never woulda guessed that Chief Swan's daughter was a lezzy."_

_ "Me either. And with one of them Cullens, to boot. You wouldn't catch me touchin' any of those freaks with a sixty-foot pole."_

_ "Amen. There's just something ain't right with them."_

_ "They're a damn fine sight to look at, though. That one there with the Swan girl is, at least."_

_ "Surely is. Chief's girl ain't too bad herself, now is she? How old you think she is nowadays? Legal yet?"_

The pigs shared another laugh at that. I moved to try and block Bella from their view, all the while attempting to keep my temper under control. Two dead perverts wouldn't be much of a loss, but I doubted the witnesses wouldn't look kindly upon blood spatters in their club sandwiches.

_"I doubt it. Besides, ain't no way you'd have a chance at that piece, even if she wasn't a homo."_

_ "Well, hell, if we can't join 'em, then maybe they'll at least let us watch."_

_ "Or videotape! Make a damn fortune on the internet with that kind of stuff."_

_ "Damn straight. Hey, I wonder which one's the man in their relationship?"_

They laughed again, louder this time. That was the final straw.

"Bella, love, you go ahead and order. I've got something to take care of. Be right back," I said. I gave Bella a quick smile as she stepped up to the counter to place her order.

"Hey, Betsy," I heard her begin. I began to weave my way towards the side of the diner, moving towards the two animals that had put a damper on my otherwise cheerful mood. I reached their table quickly, my anger slightly lessening the camouflaging of my vampire speed, but not enough to draw anyone's attention.

I stepped up to the table and placed my hands gently on its edges, trying my best not to leave an indention. I leaned forward, moving slightly towards the goons and making my presence obvious. As they looked upward and slowly recognized the source of their interruption, the blood drained quickly from each man's face.

"Hey pretty lady," one said, trying to regain his composure; he'd no idea I'd heard every word of their disgusting conversation.

"Listen here, boys," I began quietly, a calmly sinister smile plastered on my face. I was careful to keep my calm, to keep my anger on a human level, but I couldn't keep some of the venom from seeping into my voice. "If you so much as even_ think_ one more off-color thing about Isabella Swan, or any other woman in this town for that matter, _ever again_, not only will Chief Swan find out about it, but I will _hunt you down _and make you both pay. And when I'm finished, I'll sell whatever tiny bits and pieces remain to the fishermen down at the bait shop on the reservation. Am I understood?" They paled even more, though I hadn't thought such a thing possible. They were too stunned to speak, so I continued, "As for the things you spoke about my family and me, you would be wise to watch your step. Or you will find out just how 'not right' we can be. Same goes if you breathe even _one single word_ about this incident. Do we have an understanding?"

Both men looked flabbergasted. The stockier of the two attempted to speak.

"We- I- We didn't mean anything by it. We just were-"

"Save it. I_ said_, do we have an understanding?" This I asked slowly, drawing out each word for added emphasis. There would be no mistaking the obvious threat behind my words.

"Uh, yeah, yes ma'am, of course…. We're sorry," he faltered. I just rolled my eyes and resisted the urge to hit him for good measure.

"Scum like you disgust me," I hissed, and then, "And 'ain't' is _not _a word."

Just in case our disagreement was drawing attention, I said more loudly, "It's been real nice catching up with you boys."

Feeling slightly better, but still pretty pissed, I made my way back to Bella's side.

Bella's POV

I placed the order for Charlie's dinner and then took a seat by the door as I waited on Rose's return. I looked around the familiar restaurant for a few moments before Rose's beautiful shining hair caught my eye. She was leaning above a table at which two men were seated. I didn't recognize either one, and I found it difficult to believe that Rose had. Maybe she hadn't; the men didn't exactly look happy to see her. In fact, they looked absolutely frightened. From where I sat, relatively far away, I couldn't make out what Rose was saying. But, from the way her jaw was set and her eyes were flashing, I knew it was not anything good.

A worried knot began to grow in the pit of my stomach. I feared not for Rosalie, but for the men who were stupid enough to get on her bad side. Hell hath no fury, and all. I knew that Rosalie would never do anything to endanger her family's secrecy, but still… I knew what vampires were capable of, and these two men could be swatted like flies if Rosalie so desired.

That mental image still very fresh in my mind, I breathed a sigh of relief when Rosalie turned away from the men, who were nodding frantically, still slack-jawed, and walked towards me.

"What was that all about?" I inquired once she was at my side.

"Stupidity and ignorance, with a side of pedophilia."

"What?" I asked dumbly. That hadn't been the answer I'd been expecting.

"Tell you later. Right now I need to not want to castrate those two with a spork."

I couldn't help but laugh at Rosalie's remark. Maybe it was good that I did, though, because the sound seemed to break Rose out of her sour mood, at least a little.

"I'm sorry," she said, "I hate to lose control like that. It's dangerous. But I just _hate_ scum like those two."

"That's what you call losing control?" I asked, taking her hand. "From the way you talk, Rosalie, it sounds like those two deserve more than a good talking-to. I think you handled that quite well, _mon couer_."

"_Merci beaucoup_. Someone's been paying attention during French class, _non_?"

"_Oui_."

"Hamburger steak platter, slice o' pie?" called a voice from behind the counter.

"Right here," I replied, standing up and stepping to the counter to pick up the food in its grease-splattered brown bag. The diner may not have had a reputation for being classy, but it sure had one for serving good food, and that was all that mattered.

Rosalie and I joined hands once more, stepped outside and into her car, and headed once more towards my home.

**Have you reviewed yet? Whatcha waiting for? :)**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N:**** Today (5/25/10) is my second anniversary of being a user! Yay! :D**

**Sorry for the delay of this chapter. :( **

**Okay, so, if all goes as planned, ****CHAPTER 30 WILL BE THE LAST CHAPTER OF UNTOUCHED****. Just want to throw that tidbit out there so that no one is surprised when 'COMPLETE' pops up in the story description. It's been real, y'all. ;D**

**(& Don't worry; if I can't make the conclusion I've planned work in that space, I'll add more chapters. I'm not going to sacrifice the writing of the story just to make it fit into some neat little package. Hakuna matata. :D)**

**Also, Bella's POV in this chapter is not as plentiful as Rosalie's. I just didn't really have anything useful for Bella to do/say. But, her apologies are kept to a minimum, and her mouth appears to have no foot in it, so that's an improvement. :) Plus, this chapter is extra long. Longest chapter of the story yet. You're welcome! I think the remaining chapters will all be a little bit extra-lengthy, just not necessarily as long as this one. Thirty-one-hundred words is not my usual. Whew.**

_**Disclaimer**__**: I don't own the Swans, any of the Cullens/Hales, Forks WA, or any people that came from SMeyer's brain. The plot is mine, as is the dialogue, and these twisted versions of SMeyer's original characters. The Plain White T's song "1, 2, 3, 4" is not mine, either, though it's adorable and I wish it were mine.**_

**Anyway, please ENJOY. :) And review! We're nearly halfway to 200! Let's break 200 by the end of the story! Whaddaya say? ;)**

**[Special thanks to LordXeenTheGreat, who reviewed all the chapters and moved that number from the one-twenties to the one-forties! You're pretty much awesome. :)]**

**Oh, new Rosalie/Bella spoof by me: Bubbly. It's less than a thousand words. It'll take no time at all. Read it, review it, and LOVE it. :D **

**Peas & thank you. :)**

Untouched, Ch. 27

**SIX DAYS LATER**

Rosalie's POV

We stood in Bella's small bedroom. Well, technically, _I _stood in Bella's bedroom. Bella flitted from her bathroom to her closet, then to her bed and back again, at least a dozen times.

"Isabella Marie! Calm yourself, please! The pre-party starts at four! That allows you roughly five hours to prepare yourself for whatever it is that you think needs so much preparation. You really should not be this freaked out. Not yet, anyway."

"I know, I know. I just really want to make a good impression…. Again," Bella added a beat later, a wry half-smile on her face. For once, she was actually standing still; I seized the moment to grab her shoulders and hold her in place.

"_Again_ being the operative term," I said quietly. "You've met the parents already, Bells. Carlisle and Esme already know and love you. You've no reason to feel nervous."

"I was first introduced to them as their youngest son's girlfriend, Rosalie. This time I'll be introduced as their eldest daughter's girlfriend, AKA the silly little human girl that caused an irreparable rift in their family." With that, she broke free from my grasp and began to move around again.

"Nobody thinks of you as a 'silly little human girl', Bella." I flopped dramatically onto her bed in a display of exasperation. "And who is to say that the rift can't be repaired? Edward and I were never as thick as thieves, Isabella and I certainly don't miss him," I said nonchalantly. "I honestly think you're overreacting," I continued, calling to Bella as she rifled through her medicine cabinet, searching desperately for who-knows-what.

"Well, while you're thinking that, help me find my… my…. I was looking for my…. Holy crow. I cannot even remember what I was looking for. See? This is what happens when you argue with me! I can't multitask well when my nerves are so frazzled."

"Then get your butt back in here and settle down. Or, as the kids say, take a 'chillaxative', yo."

"Slang _so_ does not suit you."

"I'll keep that in mind, dawg."

Bella leaned into her doorway and quirked an eyebrow at me. I grinned.

"Come talk to me, Bella," I said, gesturing for her to lie next to me on the bed. "You've got plenty of time. By the way, there's been a change of plans; Alice is coming here at three-o-clock to do your hair instead of doing it at our house later."

Bella nodded in acknowledgement.

"Time seems to be the one thing I never have enough of, actually," she said, walking over to the bed and then stretching out atop it, facedown. "I mean, with school, and Newton's, and spending time with you and with Charlie, not to mention actually getting a decent night's worth of sleep every now and again, I feel like there's never enough time to do everything I want to do. It must be nice being a vampire; at least you don't require sleep to function. That would totally save me some time."

"Yeah. It has its advantages. Actually, though, being a vampire is more boring than one would think. Sure, the ability to run really, really fast is amazing, and money cannot buy happiness, of course; however, when your life's savings has been cumulating for almost a hundred years, it buys damn near everything but happiness. Sometimes, though, it feels as though I have 'been there and done that' when it comes to just about everything."

"Well, why not get a job or something to kill some time? I'm certain you could talk your way into working whatever hours you choose."

"Honestly, I think the tedium would eventually kill me. Well, so to speak. I have had a few jobs here and there, but I held most of them at least thirty years ago. There were more jobs available back then and everybody was _much_ more happy-go-lucky than they are now when it comes to references and the like. Even so, none of the jobs was worth keeping up appearances. You have no way of knowing just how tiring this human façade is, Bella. I can't keep it up all day for no reason. Therefore, I would rather have boredom than a job. I don't need the money, and I get more than enough socialization at home and school. Besides, I have you now. And if you can't keep me from being bored, then there's no hope for this world after all."

"I'm sorry for being hard-headed, but I just don't see how I could keep you entertained all day. I mean, I bore _myself _sometimes. Not that I'm complaining about my ability to keep you. I know I'm lucky," she smiled. "Maybe it's the same for you when it comes to me."

"Actually, you're right. I totally am amazing, even by vampire standards," I joked; Bella laughed; I continued, "But, seriously, it's still a bit of a mystery to me how I ended up so lucky when I always thought that I had gotten the short end of the 'destiny stick'. Honestly, I never would have chosen this life for myself, but now I am glad I have it. Maybe you couldn't keep every person on this planet entertained, or even yourself, but when it comes to me and you, I am completely enthralled. You have to know that. I'm not sure myself what it is about you. I just think we are meant to be, if you'll forgive the cliché. I think this is why the things in my human life happened the way they did. This is why Carlisle saved me and changed me. It's all for this, everything is for this moment, for you and for us. It sounds farfetched, I know. But, then again, a vampire that sparkles in the sun sounds pretty farfetched to me. And if we exist, then who's to say that destiny can't exist as well?"

"Valid point," Bella replied.

"Those are the best kind."

There was a moment's silence. I listened to Bella's heartbeat and felt relieved when it began to slow. At least she would temporarily stop running around like a chicken without its head.

"So," I began. "Are you sufficiently composed now?"

"Yes, dear. I'm fine. I'm still a little scared about seeing Edward. And Emmett. I really wish they weren't going to be there, honestly. But, I am a big girl. I can handle it."

"I'll be there the whole time. Unless somebody bothers you, in which case I will be outside kicking his or her ass. Sound good?"

"You always know the right thing to say, Rose."

"Well, I have had a long time to practice being a genius."

"Oh, and you're modest, too!"

"I do what I can."

"Permission to resume getting ready now?"

"Granted. However, no more edginess. Panic attacks are not good. Capisce?"

"Capisce. Love you. OH! Bobby pins! _That_'s what I was looking for!" Bella exclaimed suddenly, planting a small kiss on my lips and gracelessly hopping off her bed.

"Love you, too," I replied, laughing, but Bella was already back to ransacking the bathroom.

Bella's POV

Rosalie remained on my bed as I found everything I needed for the night. She kept me entertained, and _attempted_ to keep me sane, simply by talking to me, making me laugh, and forcing me to sit still before I suffered a self-induced anxiety attack.

She left me shortly after we'd talked on my bed and I'd very suddenly remembered what I'd been searching for earlier. After walking her to her car and watching her depart, I decided to start getting dressed and ready to face the night, whatever it might bring.

I walked back into my house, up the stairs to my bedroom, and plugged my iPod into its dock. I pressed Shuffle and smiled at the song that came on.

_**There's only one thing to do, three words for you: I love you.**_

I began to dance around my room, gathering up the gallons of hair products that came from Alice, a towel, and my very favorite bathrobe. I turned the music up louder and went to the bathroom. I undressed, started the shower, and sighed when the hot water began to pelt my back. After washing myself and following the first part of Alice's confusing so-called 'hair-preparation procedure' as best I could, I stayed beneath the water until its temperature began to wane.

I climbed out of the shower feeling much better than I'd felt going in. It's amazing the wonders a simple hot shower can perform. I brushed out my hair, finished Alice's instructions, and walked back into my bedroom. My iPod was still playing, a Bad Company song about Johnny being a schoolboy when he heard his first Beatles song. I hadn't known the song to be about Jimi Hendrix until Charlie had filled me in on the song's meaning. He was a fountain of useless knowledge, that man. Useless, but interesting nonetheless.

I wondered what new bit of information Charlie would share with me tonight. It had been a while since he and I had had any real time to share, just the two of us catching up and relaxing. I'd figured that tonight would be perfect. Not only would I get to spend time with my dad, I would lessen the awkward time I'd have to spend at the Cullen home. It was a definite bonus. I just hoped that Charlie would keep the relationship interrogation to a minimum. He was a cop through and through, unable to resist some in-depth questioning about my personal life. Luckily, he usually played good cop. Sometimes, though, bad cop came out as well. It was always a confusing time; I was intimidated, but also slightly amused. Strange combination.

I glanced at the clock; _1:33_, it read. Alice would be here shortly, _no pun intended_. I changed into some shorts and a t-shirt and headed downstairs. I still had a dinner to prepare, and only a little over an hour to do so. Luckily, the patron saint of chefs was with me that day. I was in and out of the kitchen in no time at all. I raced back upstairs, only stumbling once, and changed into my dress and heels. I needed all the practice I could get.

Soon enough, I glimpsed a little yellow Porsche pulling into the driveway.

_Alice_

Rosalie's POV

I left Bella's home after making sure she wouldn't spontaneously combust beneath the stress she was bringing upon herself. She'd gone from panicking to calm, and I hoped the latter state-of-mind would last.

After leaving, I'd gone hunting. It was more of a precaution than a necessity. I didn't like 'running low' when I was near Bella. Once I was fully sated, and then some, I returned to my home. I was due at Bella's house in two hours.

"Mom," I called, walking into the house through the kitchen door. Esme was in the kitchen and by my side almost immediately.

"Yes, sweetie?" she answered.

"I'm worried about this afternoon."

"Why?"

"Well, obviously, Emmett is not Bella's biggest fan. Of course, I know he would never hurt her, but I'm worried just the same. And then there's the fact that Edward will be here, as well. All of us beneath the same roof. I shudder just _imagining_ the tension. I mean, I will be surprised if Jasper doesn't literally crack from all the different emotions that will be bouncing around tonight."

"I've already talked to Emmett, dear, and Carlisle has spoken to Edward. I promise you, nothing is going to happen here tonight. Yes, I do imagine it will be quite awkward, but that is to be expected. I think it the best you can ask for in such a situation. The thing to remember is that you are all still family. That's what counts when push comes to shove. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Basically, you're saying that it's going to be tough, but nothing bad will happen, so I should just suck it up and deal. I kind of figured as much. Thanks, anyway, Esme."

"Anytime. So, Alice is heading to Bella's to get her ready, and then….?"

"And then she's going to the jeweler's to pick up the watch we bought for the good doctor. I'm picking Bella up at four-o-clock, and bringing her straight here. Alice will be here later, but 'well before the fit hits the shan', she swears. Those are her words, not mine. Then we'll all gather around and braid one another's hair and sing campfire songs to the tune of Jasper's brain exploding from emotional overload. Those are my words, not hers."

"Rosalie! Please!" Esme couldn't help but laugh, though I could tell she really tried to hold back. Apparently, I'd said something inappropriate; I just thought it accurate.

"I apologize. What I meant to say is that we will all gather here for some polite conversation and to exchange meaningful looks/glares. Seriously, though, I know you'll keep everyone on his or her best behavior. Of that I have no doubt. After some painfully awkward silences, I will take Bella back to her home for her dinner with Charlie. We'll head to Port Angeles, and Bella will meet us there shortly afterward."

"Remind me why she's declined your offer to ride with us?"

"She said she didn't want me to be late, which is of little importance to me compared to her getting there, but then she said that she could use the 'head space', which is Bella-code for 'I need some alone time'. It's completely understandable. Things have been happening a little rapidly lately, and Bella always mellows out when she's in that old truck of hers."

"It's her happy place, Rose. We each have one."

"Ah, yes, we do. Mine is Bergdorf's," Alice happily interjected. She bounded down the stairs and hovered by the door for a moment. "I'm off," she shared, "See you lovely gals later."

Esme replied with, "Goodbye, dear."

"Later, Pixie," were the words I chose to bid Alice adieu.

"She's leaving early."

"There's probably a sample sale somewhere in Seattle."

"Think we should call the stores and warn them?"

"That might not be such a bad idea…." I said, only partly joking. Alice was indeed a force to be reckoned with. But, with the amount of money that Alice would likely spend, it would be crazy to turn her away. She could single-handedly buy out the entire mall if she so desired.

_She actually did try that once_, I thought. I laughed to myself as I remembered how disappointed she'd been when Carlisle and Esme talked her out of it. They'd enlisted Jasper's help to make her more agreeable. In return, Alice denied him sex for a month; he never sided against her again.

"I'm going to go start getting ready, Esme," I said, sliding easily off the kitchen counter upon which I'd been perched. "Remember, no food for the human this time. She's already got dinner planned, and you know she won't turn down any food you offer her. Don't ruin her appetite."

"Hey, I'm the mother here. Shouldn't I be the one lecturing you about appetites and the like?"

"Oh, yes. I can hear you now: 'No grizzlies until you've drained your mountain lion, young lady!'" We shared a laugh at that thought.

"Yes, I suppose it would be a bit different than what most mothers tell their children. But I've always valued _different_, as we all well should."

"I concur, Ma."

"Ma? That's a new one. I like it."

"I'm glad. I'll see you at the shindig…. Ma," I smiled.

"You bet."

I turned and left the kitchen, hurrying up the stairs to my bedroom. I grabbed my own dress from my wardrobe and carried it into the massive bathroom. I hung it on a rack there as I turned on the shower. No, showers aren't necessary for vampires, seeing as how we are all pretty much perfect in every aspect, all the time, but a hot shower can do wonders, no matter how long you've been on the earth. The pleasant sensation of hot water on cold skin is not lost on the undead.

I discarded my dirty clothes and stepped into the shower, reveling in the warmth of the water cascading down my back. I stood there for a long while, simply enjoying the feeling, before shampooing my long, golden hair. It was my best feature, in my opinion, though I had many good features to choose from. Humility could be momentarily damned; I hadn't spent nearly a hundred years on the planet to spend all my time being modest. Some people (by which I mean Esme) looked down upon my brazen self-admiration, but I wasn't concerned. Everyone has a vice. For some, it's smoking, or sex. For others: alcohol, and maybe gambling. For me, it's my pride. It could be worse.

I rinsed my hair and stepped out of the shower. Alice would be done with Bella by now, and I imagined Bella was practicing with her heels. She would do every thing in her power to make sure tonight went without a hitch. My guess was that she wanted to keep up appearances, to earn her place by standing her ground. I shook my head at her crazy antics sometimes, but, truth be told, I was proud of her.

Still smiling, I dried off, wrapped my hair in a towel, and slid into my dress. It was black and slinky, but cut classically enough to be completely tasteful. One arm of the dress reached to my wrist, and the other was sleeveless. The soft fabric stopped just above my knees and started just below my collarbone. I would wear no jewelry tonight, save for my biological mother's engagement ring and a pair of diamond earrings. Simple, yet elegant: my entire wardrobe summed up in three small words. After my jewelry, I applied some lipstick, dried my hair, slid on my shoes, and then hurried out the door and into my car. A few minutes later, I was climbing out of my car to stand in Bella's driveway. She was waiting on her front stoop, and she looked breathtaking, simply magnificent.

Words cannot possibly describe the feelings that rushed through me as I saw her standing there, waiting for me. Me! Of all the lucky creatures on this planet, Bella had chosen me to spend her life with. Never before had I been so glad to live forever.


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N:**** So, this chapter was originally planned to be much longer and more action-packed, but there's no way I could write the second half without completely changing tone from the first half, and that would suck for readability. Besides, if I did wait to post until I'd finished the second half, there's no telling how long an update would take. So, here's this:**

**Enjoy. :)**

Esme's POV

Gravel crunched noisily beneath the tires of Rosalie's car as she and Bella arrived at our home. The engine was silenced, and the girls stepped out. Along with the sound of car doors quietly shutting, I could hear the rapid thumping of Bella's heart as she neared the steps. The heart's beating was so swift, I feared it was attempting to rip itself from Bella's chest and flee into the quiet isolation of the dank Washington forest.

_Poor dear_, I thought. All I wanted was to wrap her in a hug and comfort her, tell her everything would be fine.

Carlisle's POV

A brief second of utter silence coated the house as Rosalie and Bella arrived. Then, as if nothing was amiss whatsoever, the sounds of movement resumed. Edward shut the cover of the novel he'd been reading and dropped the book to the floor. Emmett swore under his breath. Jasper sighed, beginning to pace, and Esme stood by the window, cooing over Bella's anxious state. I simply remained where I sat, as motionless as though I was merely a painted portrait.

Tonight would go fine, I hoped. All I wanted was for my family, Bella included, to be complete once more.

Jasper's POV

Nervousness. That was the commonly felt emotion at the moment. Each emotion had a specific feel to it, an aura of sorts, which allowed me to recognize from whom each emotion came, and although some of the anxious feelings were perhaps tinted with anger, or distrust, or even a tinge of hopefulness, the general consensus was unease.

Vampires: Skin of granite, but nerves of homegrown cotton.

Me? I was a little nervous, too. All I wanted was to make sure no one got hurt, for Alice to be home, and to make sure my head didn't explode from emotional overload.

Alice's POV

I knew from what I'd _seen_ that Rosalie and Bella would now be arriving home. Jasper would be pacing, a bad habit of his I'd attempted to break for decades. Esme would be worrying. Carlisle would be stoically observing. Edward, the eternal dork, would be reading. Emmett would be planning awful things, before subsequently deciding against said awful things (though he pretended he could, Emmett couldn't purposely hurt someone he cared about, ever).

I'd picked up the doctor's gift and was heading home. All I wanted was for tonight to go as smoothly as I'd foreseen. So far, so good.

Emmett's POV

Rosalie and Bella arrived later than expected. Perhaps Rose had driven slowly for Bella's sake. I'd never made her do that. It made me wonder what else Bella made Rose do differently. I knew she would make Rose act human for her, and I knew Rose would always oblige her. Irrationally, it pissed me off.

Quickly, I reined in my overzealous anger. Esme had urged me to let Rosalie and Bella be happy with one another, because, no matter how much it pained me, I should always want the best for Rosalie.

All I wanted was to miss her less.

Edward's POV

Rosalie and Bella arrived. The entire house went silent for the length of a human heartbeat. Then, the silence was consumed by the sounds of the each of the house's occupants regaining his or her bearings, seemingly remembering that vampires weren't supposed to be unsettled by anything.

I stepped to my window to watch as Rosalie stepped out of the car with Bella, the first love of my existence. I wondered briefly if I would ever again love that way and glanced inconspicuously at Tanya's statuesque form.

_Anything's possible_, I thought.

All I wanted was to be happy once more.

Bella's POV

All I wanted was to hop right back into the car and drive far, far away. I was so close to chickening out that it wasn't even funny.

"Listen, Bella," Rosalie began, whispering into my ear where theoretically only I could hear. "I'm looking out for you. So are Alice, and Esme, along with Carlisle and Jasper. You said yourself that Edward wasn't mad at you, and everyone knows Emmett would never harm you. There is literally nothing to fear. Except the stairs; you are clumsy, after all."

"…"

"That was supposed to make you laugh and therefore break the tension. Mission failed, self. Okay, look. I'm sorry, Bella. I don't know what else to do to reassure you that everything's gonna be fine."

"How about you stop worrying over me, for one?"

"Worrying over you?"

"Well, I'm not having a nervous breakdown or something, Rosalie. It's just nerves, which, to my knowledge, have never been the official C.O.D. on anyone's death certificate. I, for one, find a case of the nerves perfectly acceptable. I mean, maybe it's got something to do with the fact that I'm about to walk into a house full of hungry _vampires_, at least one of which harbors at least a little bit of animosity towards me. But maybe you're right; maybe I should be as calm as a _freaking cake-walker_ at an old folks' home!"

"Calm? Apparently you haven't been to Sunset Manor when the banana crème pie is up for grabs. I mean, _whoa_."

"And apparently, I'm not the only one that's nervous."

"Surely you're not referring to me."

"I am. And don't call me Shirley."

"Hardy har har. Have you been raiding Charlie's DVD stash again, Isabella? '_Airplane!_' is way before your time. So, anyway, what makes you think I'm nervous?"

"Oh, please. Charlie's barely able to work a VCR. As to what make me think you're nervous, it's the fact that you're cracking jokes left and right. _Un_dead give-away."

"Ribbing on the immortality, now. Good one, Swan."

"Couldn't resist. But, seriously, don't worry about me so much. I've got a right to be as nervous as I please. Capeesh?"

"_Fine._"

We'd reached the door now, even though I'd been walking as slowly as I possibly could without being obvious about intentionally delaying my entrance. I took a deep, steadying breath and grasped Rosalie's hand. Then, she pushed open the door, and we walked inside to meet the waiting vampires.

Rosalie's POV

I grasped Bella's hand, and then pushed open the door to my home. Within seconds, Esme had enveloped Bella in a firm hug, whispering to her about just how happy she was to see Bella after 'so long' (it had only been a couple of weeks, seriously). After the hug, Bella and I followed Esme into the living room. Esme continued walking until she reached the couch and took a seat beside Carlisle. I walked farther into the room, but remained standing. Bella remained in the doorway, surveying the room. I followed her gaze as she smiled in turn at Carlisle, Esme, and Jasper, the last of whom sat in a recliner that was cater-cornered to the wall beside the couch. Judging by the tense set of his body, the anxiety of the other family members was weighing heavily on Jasper. However, he simply smiled, looking every bit the serene vampire he (usually) tried his best to be. Sometimes I loathed being without any 'superpowers,' but I wouldn't take Jasper's if he made me. Yes, Jasper's ability (whatever the heck it was called) was certain to have some benefits, but nevertheless: no thanks. Just imagining the combination of Alice's eternal exuberance with Edward's eternal moodiness made my brain crave the sweet relief of a violent implosion.

Emmett came out of the kitchen to lean against the opposite doorway. He looked me up and down, a strange series of emotions playing on his face and in his eyes. Then, his eyes rested on Bella, and, briefly, a look of violent anger seeped into his eyes. It was so quick that, if I didn't know Emmett so well, I'd have thought I'd imagined it. Just as I would have thought I'd imagined the look of remorse that flashed over his features next. He met my eyes then, and knew he'd been figured out.

"Sorry," he said aloud, and I nodded, each of us ignoring the puzzled expressions on the faces around us.

Just then, I heard Bella's somewhat sharp intake of breath. I followed her gaze to the top of the stairs where Edward stood. I wasn't sure what had shocked Bella so much until I saw that he wasn't alone.

Lilith incarnate stood beside Edward, leaning on him like she was an Italian tower and he was the horizon. The smile on her face said that she knew just the effect her presence would have.

_ Bitch._

Well, if Edward was moving on, more power to him. Bella surely wasn't waiting for him any longer.

_ Tanya, though?_ I thought, then stopped myself. It really wasn't my place to judge him, no matter how badly I wanted to. I walked to stand beside Bella and took her hand in mine. Edward looked slightly pained, but he kind of looked that way _all the fracking time_, so I wasn't worried.

Just as the silence threatened to become awkward, Alice bounded through the door, overly-enthusiastically saying,

"Well, everybody's here! Let's get this party started!"


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N:** **MY LOVES! :D 'Tis been FOREVER! Well, it feels that way. I am SO sorry this took so long. I also apologize for not replying to every review. Those of you that regularly review (I 3 you!) know that I always reply, and that this silent treatment is most definitely not my norm. It shan't happen again! So, thank you to all those that reviewed. Review this time, and I'll make sure to reply. :D **

**Speaking of reviews, it would be EPIC to break through 200 REVIEWS with this chapter. Doable? Hells yes! (Especially with you UBER amazing people. :D)**

**And speaking of this chapter, ****THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS EIGHT-THOUSAND WORDS! 8000!**** My average is sixteen-hundred, meaning that this chapter is approximately ****FIVE TIMES LONGER THAN THE OTHER CHAPTERS! ****:DDD This also means that I have written over 50,000 words for this story (53,038 to be exact)! :D**

**So, yeah, super duper long chapter to make up for the time delay. Just please don't hate me for how this chapter turns out. If you find it contrived and cliched, well, sorry, buddy. Better luck next time. ;)**

**Also, special shout-out to my bestest friend IRL, **Ookami Z**, and also to my long-lost twin IRL, **sneakybg91**, each of whom contributed a random fact to this chapter. I 3 you both! :D**

**Anyway, without further adieu, CHAPTER TWENTY-FREAKING-NINE! (Did I mention it has 8000 words?)**

**Enjoy. :)**

Bella's POV

Edward quietly descended the stairs, Tanya by his side.

_ And here I had been thinking he preferred brunettes._ The thought popped into my head before I could stop it. I stifled a laugh, and it came out sounding like a strangely choked sigh. Rosalie walked over to me and took my hand. Edward bristled the slightest bit, and Tanya took the opportunity to wrap herself around him. He looked slightly disgusted, to me at least, so that was a good sign.

_ Wait. Why is that a good sign? I should want him to be happy._

_ And you do. But, it's Tanya. I mean, come on. Like you needed reminding that Edward was right about you not being good enough for him._

_ Oh, shut up. I-_

_ Did you really just tell yourself to shut up?_

_ Yes, I did. Now, as I was saying, Edward indeed found a better match for himself, just as I found a better match for me. That is all that matters. Yeah, it _is_ Tanya. However, there's no accounting for taste when it comes to rebounds…. Besides, it's not as if he looks particularly excited._

_ True. Celebrate the small victories._

_ Seriously, shut up._

Never before had I been this grateful for the fact that Edward could not read my mind. Apparently, befriending mythical creatures, such as the Cullens, had made me loony. I was arguing with myself. But, hey, there was a bright side to this: I could never lose.

I cleared my throat and waited for someone to speak. Besides my conscience.

"Well, everybody is finally here! Let us get this party started!"

I jumped at the unexpected sound of Alice's voice, but was overjoyed that she had finally arrived. Nobody would even dare consider stepping a toe out of line at a party when Alice was involved. There was lots of power packed in that petite pixie.

"Why is everyone looking so glum? Jasper, did you try to eat Bella again?" Alice joked, taking on a faux admonishing tone.

For a moment, the room was even quieter than it had been before Alice arrived. Then, sudden bouts of laughter broke out. Well, _my _sudden bout of hysterical laughter began to break out. Soon, though, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, Esme (reluctantly), and even Edward joined. Even Tanya smiled.

"Alice-" Carlisle began to chastise, but even he could not hide his laughter, and any authority his statement might have held suddenly disappeared.

"Ah, I knew that would do the trick," Alice trilled. "Now, I am going to go change into some real party duds. I'll be back in two shakes of a lamb's tail. Everyone play nice."

Alice flitted up the stairs and passed Edward and Tanya with just a nod of her head, as far as I could tell. Edward smiled, seemingly relieved by whatever thoughts were currently dancing across Alice's brain tissue.

"Good to know," I heard him say, and then his gaze met mine. There was that familiar expression once more, the slightly frustrated twitch of his eyebrows that told me he wished he could know the inner workings of my thinking, wished that I were not a mental oddity, the one person whose thoughts were a complete mystery to him.

Edward looked away from me. I followed Edward's gaze as it lighted upon Emmett, who remained stoic as he leaned into the doorway. The confusion on Edward's face quickly dissipated in favor of a more understanding expression. Apparently, he had solved whatever was puzzling him, and apparently, it was something concerning both Emmett and myself. I was not sure if that was a good sign or not.

Rosalie's POV

I did not miss the exchange between Edward and Alice, nor did I miss the confused expression on Edward's face as he puzzled over Alice's latest vision.

_What now? _I wondered. Well, apparently, it wasn't anything too bad or Edward would have flipped his lid. No one was trying to kill Bella, at least not today. It was a nice change of pace.

"Bella," Emmett called. I immediately began to stare at him, waiting for him to catch my eye before tilting my head, just the slightest bit. He understood what the gesture was asking of him, and he answered, "I need to talk to her, Rosalie. That's all."

I looked up at Edward. He wouldn't hold my gaze, but he answered my unspoken question, _Is this a good idea?_

"Alice has seen it. It's fine, Rosalie."

I nodded in understanding. That's what Alice and Edward had been 'discussing'.

I turned to face Bella. She looked apprehensive, so I walked to stand beside her.

"You don't have to talk to him if you don't want to, but I think it might be a good idea."

"Me, too," she agreed in a murmur. "He's not himself when he's so angry, and I want to try to fix things."

I gave her hand a gentle squeeze before she followed Emmett out into the back yard.

Bella's POV

I was more than ready to find some resolution for the relationship between Emmett and me. His perpetually jovial demeanor was simply _gone_, and that made _everything_ seem strange and unnatural.

I had absorbed all the speeches and reassurances that I would come to no harm today. However, now I realized that I was actually supposed to go with Emmett, out of sight of the others. I was suddenly as scared as I had ever been while facing down evil vampires. Or a winding staircase.

Still, after reluctantly letting go of Rosalie's hand, I followed Emmett through the kitchen and into the backyard. Alice had had a vision of this conversation and she wouldn't let it happen if harm was to come to either of the involved parties (like I could harm Emmett even if I tried). Besides, this resolution was something I needed for myself, for Emmett, for my relationship with Rosalie, and for the Cullen family as a whole.

I shut the door carefully behind me, certainly not rushing to meet the big, burly vampire. Emmett stood facing the forest, arms across his chest and his back turned to me. I stood behind him, feeling more awkward than I ever had, unsure of how to begin this conversation, or if I should be the one to begin at all. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Emmett turned to face me.

Emmett's POV

After a few moments, I turned to face Bella. She looked completely petrified, frozen in place with a look of fear on her face. One leg was slightly behind her, as if she was ready to run for her life at any given moment. Not that it would do her any good. She was clumsy and wearing high heels. The odds were most definitely _not_ in her favor.

"Relax, Bella. I'm not going to eat you."

She laughed nervously, but, for some reason, I doubted her sincerity.

"Good to know, Emmett. Thanks. So…?"

"So…?"

"What did you want to talk to me about?"

"I think you know what-"

"Well, duh, Emmett, I figured that part out all by myself, but what about Rosalie, specifically? I mean, I know you are upset. You'd be crazy not to be angry."

"I'm not _angry_, Bella…. I mean, I _am_ angry. _Very _much so, in fact." At that remark, Bella's face clouded with uncertainty once more. "But I won't act on it, not physically, so just calm down. It would hurt Rosalie for me to hurt you, not that I would be able to hurt you anyway. Talk to me without us having to drag Jasper down here to lay some mojo on you, please."

"I'm all ears, Emmett."

I took a deep breath. It was a futile exercise, true, but a comforting one nonetheless.

"Okay. Listen. The last thing I want to hear about is why or how you and Rose have been in love for ages, or how you could not help falling for her, because I know you could not help it. She's- Rose is- God, she is _amazing_. She really is. She saved me, all those years ago, as you know, and she had strange motivations, sure. But, she carried me all the way back to Carlisle so that he could change me for her. As you also know, we've been together ever since then, up until you came along. Rose and I fit together so well. And we still would, if not for you."

"Emmett, I'm sorry, you know that, and I understand what-"

"No, Bella! You cannot possibly understand! You are seventeen years old. Not forever seventeen, just literally, physically, emotionally, and _only _seventeen. Me, on the other hand, I was born in 1915. I was twenty years old when I was changed. _I'm ninety-five years old_, Bella. I have been with Rosalie for seventy-five years. Can you even fathom that amount of time, Bella? I honestly doubt it. Humans, they fall in love at the age I did, true, but they are _dead_ by my current age. Not me, though. Not my kind, _Rosalie's_ kind. _We_ are still going strong. Where will you be seventy-five years from now, when Rose is still completely unchanged?"

Bella's POV

"I-" I faltered. This was not going as I'd hoped. Then again, a kinder response would have seemed ridiculous. This was what I had truly expected.

"Dead. That's where. And then what? Then what, Bella? _That's _when Rose is allowed to come back to me? I just wait until you're dead and can no longer _force_ her away from me?"

I'd remained mostly silent until that statement. I was _forcing_ Rose away from him? Oh, no. We were _not_ going to play that blame game. The hot anxiety burbling within me slowly cooled into something closely resembling angry exasperation.

I unfolded my arms and began to hold Emmett's stony gaze. Slowly, I began to stalk towards him, stopping only when I was within touching distance. Not that that would do me any good, but still. I had a point to make, and I was going to be absolutely certain that he would understand.

"All right, big boy. First of all, you are absolutely correct; Rosalie Hale is an absolutely amazing woman. I will not apologize for falling in love with her, and I _for damn sure_ won't apologize for her reciprocation."

"I said-"

"Shut up, Emmett! It's _my_ turn to talk!" I was almost a little embarrassed at how shrill my voice sounded, even to my own ears. However, I had something to say, and I was going to say it, angry vampire or none!

Emmett glared, but didn't say a single word. I regarded his silence as acknowledgement that I had the floor, so to speak.

"Now, as I was saying, first of all, I will not apologize for her reciprocation of my feelings, because I have never been happier. I will apologize for the abruptness of things, and for the fact that you were hurt so badly by this, but that's the only 'I'm sorry' that you will be hearing from my lips. Secondly, I could not force Rose away from you any more than I could force the moon away from the sky. I don't know if you realize this, but she is a vampire. Do you think that you, as a human, could force a vampire to do anything? Hell, do you think you could do it even now? I doubt it! And even if she was not a vampire, Rosalie is a person that knows what she wants out of life and goes after it. There is no stopping her. You should know that. I doubt even you could get her to make such a big change as this one has been."

"It doesn't matter if _I _could, Bella! _You_ did! Somehow. I don't know what you-"

"Ugh! Damn it, Emmett! Wake up and smell the freaking hemoglobin!" Shouting was probably not the most mature thing I could have done, but, honestly, it felt darn good. I took a second to breathe, pacing up and down the small area in which Emmett and I stood. Finally, I turned back to him, took a deep breath, and continued in a much quieter and more level voice. "Rosalie came to me of her own accord and I greeted her with arms wide open. Okay? That is all there is to this story. I could stand here in front of you all day and tell you that I made false promises to Rosalie or that I blackmailed her into leaving you. I am sure that I could develop any number of explanations that would place all of the blame solely on me. But, I will not do that, because nothing of that nature would be the truth. The truth is, I love Rosalie, she loves me, and we are together. And, I promise you, that's all," I finished quietly.

"Bella," he began, and his voice was quiet, heavy with some emotion I was certain he was unaccustomed to feeling. He was staring at the ground as he said, "I see her face, _everywhere_ I look. I pass a BMW, or any other red convertible, I think of her. I see a blonde woman walking down the street, whether she looks otherwise similar or not, I think of Rose. I see an issue of Car & Driver magazine, I think of Rose. Sometimes, there are just random things that remind me of us, things that don't make sense even to me. And then there's this house," he scoffed. "I can't help but see her here, and I do not mean just literally. No matter what I do, Bella, or where I go, or whom I spend time with, Rose is there, reminding me of how it used to be between us, and of the fact that it will never be that way again."

I imagined what it would be like to be Emmett in this situation, and my heart began to break all over again. The only sound in the next few moments was that of my shoes scuffing back and forth against the ground. Eventually, I spoke again, saying the only thing I could think to say:

"She still loves you, Emmett."

He made a noise that fell somewhere between an embittered laugh and a weary sigh. "It's not enough, Bella."

"No, it's probably not enough, but it's something, at least. You are always going to be important to her, no matter what. Listen, I want you to know that I never wanted anyone to get hurt in all this. I know that it was a foolish, unreasonable hope, but it was something I wished for, a lot. I've always liked you, Emmett, and I don't want you to hate me."

"Oh, Bella," he sighed. "I can't hate you. I have tried. Believe me, I have _tried_. But I just can't do it. Are we going to be 'bestest' friends after this? No. I doubt it. However, I am sure we can maintain a decent level of civility. Maybe I'll even like you again one day."

I chuckled, but there was a sad and somber edge to it. We each knew that he was hardly in a joking mood.

"I can accept 'one day'. That is a very reasonable timeline. I don't think I'd like me very much either if I were in your shoes. I would, however, accept the things that I cannot change and be as happy as possible for the person I once loved. Like Edward, for example."

"Like-? Oh, you think that he and Tanya are-" Emmett's laughter abruptly rang out through the forest. "Bella, Tanya basically forced herself on Edward. She heard that he was available again before he even went to Denali and has apparently been planning her ambush ever since. He just agreed to escort her to the party for the sake of appearances."

"Oh. Well, that's…. I'm not relieved, exactly," I said. I could feel my cheeks beginning to heat up. I should not have felt one way or another towards Edward's new relationship. "Well, I actually am a bit relieved, in a way. I mean, Edward has never really seemed to like Tanya in a romantic way, and I want him to be with someone who actually makes him happy." Emmett stared pointedly at me for a moment, one eyebrow raised, causing me to quickly add the words, "Someone _else _who makes him happy. Besides me."

He sighed, "I know, I know. It was just a thought."

"So, are we all right, then? I mean, not _completely_ all right, but at least decently so?"

"There is only one more thing. Isabella Swan, swear to me that you will do your very best to make Rosalie happy. Swear that you will never hurt her in any way and that you will take care of her as much as humanly possible. And swear to me that you will not take her for granted, ever, because there are people that don't want to hurt your feelings, but are just waiting for you to screw up, namely, me."

I could not help but laugh. "Well, Emmett, I would hope for nothing less than seeing you in line behind me, but you might be waiting a while. I already planned on doing all of those things that you named. So, yes, I swear."

"Then, yes. We're decently all right. But, Bella, just so you know: I was not kidding about waiting in the wings. If she changes her mind, I'm going to be there. Most likely, I will not utter a single word in your defense, either. That's me being honest, not mean."

"Like I said, I would expect nothing less, Emmett."

"Okay," he nodded, but it seemed as though it was mostly to himself. "Okay," he repeated, this time to me, "Let's head back in before they think I had you for lunch or something."

"It really is not that funny when you joke about killing me, you know," I kidded as we began to near the door. "Besides, you are pretty late to that game, anyway."

He laughed. "This is true. Ladies first," he said, gesturing into the house as he held open the door.

"Thanks."

I walked back into the living room to find every one _exactly_ as they had been when I left. It was a bit unsettling. And their conversation, about the weather of all things, was eerily perfect. There were no lulls or pauses, and all questions were perfectly timed.

"Emmett," I called behind me. He was abruptly at my side. "Have they been talking the whole time we were outside?" I asked.

"Nope. This is actually the first peep I've heard from this house."

"You don't think they were listening in, do you?" I teased. I met Rosalie's eyes from across the room and winked at her. She smiled in return, apparently happy that my conversation with Emmett had gone better than I had hoped. Well, towards the end, anyway.

Emmett rubbed his chin like a mad scientist in a low-budget horror film. "I do believe they were."

No one took the bait.

"Oh, come on!" I exclaimed. "Not even a smile?"

"We respect your privacy far too much to eavesdrop, Bella," Carlisle said.

"Well, Carlisle and Esme do. As do Rosalie, Alice, and myself. Jasper on the other hand…," Edward said. At least _someone_ had caught on to the joke. It surprised me that Edward was the one.

Jasper appeared flabbergasted at being ratted out by his own brother. "Well, I had to make sure things didn't get out of hand," he finally supplied.

"Alice already knew things wouldn't get out of hand."

"Well-"

"Relax, Jasper. She and I are both only joking," Edward said. He and Tanya finally descended the stairs and took a seat on the couch beside Esme and Carlisle. I stifled a laugh as I noticed Edward inch away from Tanya, who could only have been closer to Edward had she either been sitting on his lap or surgically attached at the hip.

"…. Of course. I knew that, Edward. I was simply playing along."

"Ha! Yeah, and I used to be a member of the Russian ballet," Alice sarcastically chimed as she darted down the stairs, impeccably dressed in a gorgeous red cocktail dress that seemed more city lights than small town, but not ridiculously so. "But, don't worry, babe. Nothing to be ashamed about. I was curious, too. Luckily, I have some special assistance in knowing exactly what things will be said before they are even thought of and therefore don't have to resort to eavesdropping. Some gals have all the luck," she teased, throwing a sly wink in Jasper's direction.

"Bella, come with me," Alice began. "We have a bit more work to do on you."

"But- But you already- _Why_?" I whined.

"Because, I want to do it again! I've got an idea!" She squealed and jumped up and down a couple of times.

She paused, and I stared at her silently as she continued to beam from ear to ear.

"Resistance is pretty much futile," she added, still chipper. "Just saying."

I rolled my eyes.

"Fine, but I think that somebody needs to invest in a Barbie or twelve."

"Yay!" she chirped, completely ignoring my comment. Immediately, Alice took my hands and began pulling me towards the stairs and to her Cineplex-sized closet. Now showing: 'Bella's Transformation 3: The Glitter Returns Again', presented to you by Paul Mitchell. And Mariah Carey.

"Now, everybody else, make yourselves useful! Go do… something!" Alice said from her spot beside me as we paused at the top landing of the stairs. No one in the house looked particularly convinced of her authority. "Well, it was worth a try," she whispered to me. "It isn't like there is anything to do anyway. I just wanted to say that."

"Oh, how I love you, Alice."

"Aw! I love you, too, Bella! Now, scoot!"

We reached her bedroom door and she led me in. I headed directly for the closet this time and took my seat, patiently waiting for the pixie to begin working her magic. Alice had me well trained.

Rosalie's POV

Shortly after Alice disappeared with Bella in tow, the little pixie came to the top of the stairs. She cleared her throat in an exaggerated manner before asking us all to gather around the foot of the stairs.

"May I present to you all, Miss Isabella Marie Swan, two-point-oh!" Alice exclaimed, gesturing towards the hallway where Bella apparently hid, invisible to those of us gathered below. "Come _on_, Bella," she hissed.

There was a grumble or five, interspersed with some choice words, and then Bella stepped out into plain view. She'd looked beautiful before, but now she was even more gorgeous. There was a lovely blush in her cheeks and, as she stared at the ground, tendrils of hair brushed against her face. The rest of her hair was swept up into a purposefully messy bun of sorts that rested against the nape of her neck. When she finally met my gaze, ignoring everything else, I could see that her lips were painted a beautiful shade of red ('Cherry Crush', to be exact) and her smoky eyes…. Well, they did things to me. Bella looked _absolutely stunning_. I mouthed the words, _I love you_ and she replied with a wink and a smile.

"You look gorgeous, Bella, as always," Carlisle said, after pausing for a moment so that everyone could admire the lovely little human gracing our abode today.

"Absolutely stunning," Esme agreed. Sometimes it was as if that woman could read my mind. Then again, those words commonly came to mind at times such as these.

"You look good," Tanya said. I tried not to laugh at her perceivable reluctance to compliment Bella. Apparently even vampires as beautiful as Tanya are not immune to envy.

"You'll knock 'em dead," Emmett added.

"Beautiful," Edward said simply. He looked almost sad for a beat before brightening up.

"You're real pretty, Bella," Jasper threw in.

"I _told_ you so," Alice softly chided, carefully elbowing Bella.

"Thank you all," Bella mumbled. She was clearly uncomfortable being in the spotlight, but she could not hide her smile. She accepted the compliments graciously before heading down the stairs. My eyes roamed over Bella as she slowly descended. The dress did good things for her already amazing body and the view as she swayed down the stairs was superb. She took her time, apparently not trusting herself to be careless, especially in heels. Had I not been surrounded by my family, I might have pretended it was all for my benefit and reveled in that fantasy for a moment or ten, but I knew that the slowness was so that she didn't fall. Honestly, Bella's occasional caution was a good thing. She was definitely not one of those people that could ever be too careful about anything. I loved that about her, though, for some reason. My inborn protective instinct likely had the final say in that matter.

Finally, Bella reached the bottom of the stairs. The small gathered crowd parted just enough for her to walk to me. I embraced her there in front of everyone and placed a small kiss on her lips.

"You look phenomenal, Bells. Truly."

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Thank _you_," I replied, "For giving me something to look at all night."

"And thank you _both_ for making me want to gag. I love you both dearly, but please, save the saccharine cheesiness for behind closed doors, ladies."

"Oh, Alice. Don't be jealous. I'm sure you could make Jasper more effeminate, and then you could have some 'lady-loving' of your own," I teased.

"I will not dignify that with a response."

"Anyway. An hour-and-a-half has somehow passed while we were standing around and doing nothing. So, I'm going to go drop Bella off at Charlie's house, and I will see you all back here shortly so we can drive to the restaurant. Bella will be joining us at around seven. Okay?"

"All right, Rose. See you there, sweetheart," Esme said to Bella.

"Bye, everybody," Bella said. There was a chorus of replies.

"See you," I said before grabbing Bella and leading her out the door. We reached my car and I opened her door for her.

"Thank you," she said, sliding into the seat. It was done quite gracefully, especially considering Bella's current attire. It wasn't exactly the prime option for attire to wear while riding in low-sitting cars. But, it was hot, so nothing else mattered.

Once we were safely on the road to the Swan residence, I began talking to Bella.

"Well, that was not nearly as bad as you expected, now was it?"

"No, it really was not."

She reached for my hand and I intertwined my fingers with hers.

"I told you no one could ever hate you."

"You were right. But don't get used to hearing me say those words," she added.

"Okay, I won't," I laughed.

"Seriously, though, Emmett's just hurting. That's understandable. I expected him to hate me, but he said he couldn't. He still loves you, but he understands now that this, that you and me, we are for real." She squeezed my hand with this last bit, and I loved the feeling of both the gesture and the words. Both were equally amazing.

"For real?"

"For real."

"I like the sound of that," I said.

We rode in companionable silence throughout most of the journey.

"Alice made me a map, by the way," Bella said. She unfolded a small piece of paper from her handbag. On the sheet was an intricately drawn map of Port Angeles, complete with arrows depicting Bella's every turn. It was fool proof.

"I told her I knew my way to Port Angeles, but wasn't sure about the restaurant exactly, so, she drew me this. It seems pretty fool proof to me."

"Yeah, me too. She sketches sometimes with her visions, but even before she started doing that, Alice has always been pretty gifted with drawing. And cartography, apparently."

"You people's skills never cease to amaze me."

"That's part of our allure, you know. Never-ending amazement and entertainment."

"That reminds me. There's not going to be some cheesy karaoke segment tonight, is there?"

"Oh, I hope not. Alice has a thing for ABBA songs, and, although her voice is amazing, one can only hear 'Voulez-Vous' so many times in one's life before one would like to cause permanent damage to the singer's vocal chords."

"Something tells me that you are the said 'one' in this story," Bella teased. We pulled into her driveway.

"Oh, you have no idea. All right. So, I'm dropping you off in about two seconds, so that will put us at 5:40PM. You'll enjoy a quick dinner with Charlie, and then you'll be on your way back to me by 6:30PM. Sound about right?"

"Sounds perfect, love."

"To me, too."

We shared a too brief kiss before I turned the car off and walked Bella to her door.

"Call me when you leave here, okay?"

"Will do."

Two minutes and multiple kisses later, I stepped away from Bella.

"I love you," I said as I walked backwards down the stairs.

"I love you," she returned before walking into the house.

I waved as I got into my car, started it up, and then began making my way back home.

Bella's POV

I walked into the house and called, "Dad, I'm home."

I heard no reply, but I did hear Charlie's voice. I walked into the kitchen to find him leaning against the refrigerator, ear pressed to the phone.

"_Oh. Sorry_," I mouthed.

He nodded and then rolled his eyes, gesturing to the phone. He then motioned at my new dress, and then flashed a thumbs up sign. I smiled, and then sat my purse on the counter. I walked to the refrigerator and pulled out three containers. Then, I grabbed two plates from the cabinet and began piling food onto Charlie's plate, stuck it in the microwave, and then started on my own plate and did the same.

"All right, Ernie. Listen, Bella just got home and I am going to have a nice dinner with my daughter. I trust you to find somebody to cover the potential detour areas without having to check in with me every two seconds, okay? Thank you. Bye."

He hung up the phone and turned to me.

"You look gorgeous, Bells."

"Thanks. Rosalie helped pick the dress out, and Alice…."

"Yeah, I figured. Speaking of which, where's that young lady been? You should invite her over more often."

"Sure, sure. So, dinner is cooked, I've just got to heat it back up."

"What are we having?"

"Stuffed chicken breast, steamed broccoli, and potatoes au gratin. Homemade, not the cheap boxed kind."

"Mmmmmhmmm," Charlie hummed. I laughed. Offer the man some decent food, and he is yours for the taking. "You cooked all that today?" he asked before sitting down at the table.

"Yep. Sure did. I had some time to kill before Alice got here." I sat his plate and drink in front of him and expected him to start salivating. He nearly did.

"Alice was here? And your hair has lasted that long?" I walked back to the counter to pick up my plate and glass of water.

"She was here this afternoon and did my hair, and then got the urge to do it again once I got to her house." I sat down and began eating.

He laughed, "That sounds like Alice!"

"You're telling me. But, it looks good, so I won't complain too much."

"It looks great. You look really beautiful."

"Thank you, Dad. Now, dig in!"

He took a bite of the chicken first and very nearly moaned.

"Do I want to know what's in this? Or would that ruin it for me? Because this is absolutely delicious."

"It's green and leafy, but completely legal in all fifty states. That's probably as specific as you want me to get. You know, I'm glad I did not develop your aversion to anything healthy. I'm surprised you don't have scurvy."

"Argh! I get me Vitamin R and that's all I need!" His pirate impression was definitely lacking, but he earned an 'A' for effort.

"Nice one, Dad. Really."

"You know I'm joking. Besides, I don't have an aversion to _all _healthy things. Just most. And don't pretend you love all things healthy, either. You hate Brussels sprouts."

"Uh, that's because Brussels sprouts are disgusting, even when I cook them."

"See."

"I'd hardly say that counts. Stop trying to pin this on me."

"Fine. So, how was the Cullen family get-together?"

"Awkward."

"Like elephant-in-the-room awkward, or tiny-mouse-in-the-room awkward?"

"Hmm. I'd say it was more Great-Dane-in-the-room awkward."

"Well, you seem to have made it out in one piece. I'm proud of you." Charlie never had been one for details.

"Yep. Thank you. And I am wearing heels to boot."

"I noticed. I've been waiting to catch you, but you've surprised me again!"

"Um, well, thanks. I think."

Charlie laughed and then stopped talking to shovel food in his mouth. I followed suit and was pleased with just how well dinner turned out.

"Mmm. I just may have outdone myself this time, Dad."

"I agree."

Well, that is what I thought he said, at least. His words came out mumbled around a mouthful of potatoes. It was a lovely sight.

We made small talk in between bites of food. Charlie talked to me about his job, and I talked to him about school. I talked about Rosalie and Charlie talked about Sue. And, of course, Charlie had to share his random factoid of the day:

"So, Bella, did you know…?"

"Oh, here we go."

"Oh, shush. Humor your old man. _Did you know _that humans and giraffes have the same number of neck bones?"

"Ew. Really?"

"True story. Oh, and bats always turn left when exiting a cave."

"That one I did know, actually. Did _you_ know that peanuts are an ingredient in dynamite?"

"I'm a cop, Bella. Knowing what makes things go boom is kind of part of my job."

"Fine. How about this one? If you screamed for eight years, seven months, and six days, you would produce enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee."

"…"

"Dad?"

"Fine. You win."

I laughed, "I didn't know it was a contest, but woo! Where do you get all this stuff from, anyway?"

Charlie leaned back in his chair, stomach protruding, and steepled his fingers, apparently trying for 'villainous cool'… and subsequently failing. "Let's just say, I have my sources."

"If you say so, Cruella," I leaned back in my chair, mirroring Charlie's position, but without the cheap movie villain act. "Ah, that really was good food. But, it's getting late. I need to be leaving if I'm going to make it to the party on time."

"Yes, you do. I will get the dished done. Listen, I _do not _want you to rush when you are driving, Bella. The roads are treacherous when it rains, especially if they decide to use the detours. Oh, and send Dr. Hardwicke my congratulations. I spoke to him at the diner a couple of days ago, but refresh his memory for me, please."

"Sure thing, Dad."

He stood and carried his plate and glass to the sink. Then, he turned to face me as I stood beside the counter.

"Are you sure you don't want me to drive you?"

"I'm positive. But thank you, anyway."

"Alright. But be careful, Bells. Like I said, they're calling for rain tonight."

"It's Forks, Dad. When are they not calling for rain?"

"Yeah, yeah. Hush up and hug me, kid."

I did.

"I'll see you."

"Call me when you start on your way home, alright?"

"Sure thing. Love you, Dad."

"Love you, too, Bella. See ya."

I walked out the door and climbed into my beloved truck, purse in hand. Once safely in the truck, I pulled my cell phone from my purse and dialed Rosalie's number.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Rose. Just wanted to let you know that I am leaving Charlie's right now."

"Alrighty, then, Bells. I should be seeing you in a little while, then."

"I should be there by seven, so don't worry."

"I will try my very best to not be paranoid and/or over-protective. But, no promises, okay?"

I laughed, "All right. Deal. I love you."

"And I love you. See you soon."

"Sure thing. Bye."

"Goodbye."

I ended the call and placed my phone back into my purse. I started my truck, pulled out of the driveway and began making my way towards Port Angeles.

Rosalie's POV

The family arrived at the party in separate vehicles, but we all walked in together. Carlisle and Esme led the way, Carlisle holding open the door for his beloved like the gentleman he truly was. Edward and Tanya followed, and Alice and Jasper went behind them. Finally, Emmett held the door and motioned for me to enter.

"Thanks, Em," I said.

"No problem, Rose," he returned as he came in the door behind me.

Dr. Hardwicke came over immediately. His bright Hawaiian shirt contrasted brightly against both the muted surroundings and the semi-formal dress code. The man was living the retired life already.

"Carlisle and family," he boomed. Dr. Hardwicke was one of my favorite people in Forks. He was very much the grandfatherly type he appeared to be. "And Mrs. Cullen, the prettiest lady in town!" He bent to kiss Esme's cheek.

"Oh, you'd better hope Mrs. Hardwicke didn't hear that or _somebody _might be in a spot of trouble!"

"Nah. I usually fall asleep on the couch, anyway, watching TV, so it wouldn't be a big deal," he joked. "Besides, I didn't say which town. Technically, you don't exactly live in town."

"If you say so," she grinned. "I still say you'd better watch out."

"I always do! Oh, Miss Alice! I see that you are still as cute as a button."

"Aw, thank you, Doc," she trilled. Dr. Hardwicke, along with most of the other men in Forks and the surrounding areas, was wrapped securely around Alice's little finger. That girl could charm the pants off an alligator. She leaned in for a hug and the doctor embraced her gently, as if she was a priceless fragile vase.

"Jasper," the doctor nodded formally and shook Jasper's hand. He wasn't cold to Jasper, but both were very respectful gentlemen. Dr. Hardwicke knew that Jasper was not the warmest of people, and even without explanation, he accepted that fact and treated Jasper accordingly.

"Congratulations on your retirement, sir," Jasper said. Even though he was old enough to be Dr. Hardwicke's great-great-grandfather, he still called the man sir. Good old-fashioned respect; that was something truly in short supply these days.

"Oh, thank you, son."

Carlisle interjected, "We'll find you again, Doc. We're going to go say hello to some of the others here." Carlisle and Esme began to walk towards the other side of the room, and Jasper and Alice followed.

"Good! Go mingle! Or do whatever it is you crazy kids call it," he laughed. Then he turned to the remaining four of us.

"Edward, nice to see you. Where's the lovely Isabella?"

"Well, actually, sir, Bella and I are no longer a couple."

"So it would appear," he said, eyeing Tanya wearily. She obviously did not scream 'small town gal'. "Who is this lovely young woman you have with you?"

"This is Tanya, a friend of the family. She's visiting from Denali, Alaska."

"Ah. Well, it is nice to meet you, Miss Tanya."

"It's nice to meet you, as well. Congratulations," she said, offering her hand for the doctor to shake. He obliged and thanked her for her words before moving on to Emmett.

"Emmett! Big fellow!" Dr. Hardwicke shook Emmett's hand and clapped him heartily on the back. Emmett had always been the doctor's favorite. "How have you been? I see you managed to hold onto your lady, unlike your brother here."

Edward managed a smile at the doctor's teasing, but his unhappiness was apparent.

"Oh, I'm only teasing, boy. No need to be so broody."

"It's quite all right, Doc," Edward replied. "Just a bit of a tender subject, still."

"Ah, young love in all its glorious pain. Don't worry, son, you've got many years to find another mate." Well, that part was true, at least.

"You are most certainly correct right about that. If you'll excuse us…." Edward and Tanya departed the immediate area, leaving only Emmett and myself.

"Well, doctor, Emmett didn't quite manage that to hold onto his lady either," I spoke up as the doctor turned once more to face us. "He and I have broken up as well."

"Hmm. There must be something in the water up at the Cullen home! That is simply too bad! I see that you are each without a date, though. Maybe you'll both find someone here that strikes your fancy!"

"Actually, my date should be arriving shortly, but maybe Emmett will have some luck here tonight," I said, glancing innocently up at Emmett.

"Maybe. Or maybe I need a drink," he stated dryly. He ventured off in search of a waitress, though I had no idea what he'd do once he found her. It gave him an excuse to leave, at least.

"Your date! Really? Do I know the lucky young man?"

"The lucky young _woman_, actually. Chief Swan's daughter, Isabella."

That one threw him for a loop and it was a struggle not to laugh at the expressions crossing his face. Shock, confusion, embarrassment. The menagerie was priceless.

"I- Uh. Well! So, you and-" He coughed without continuing. "Huh. Well, whatever floats your boat, little missy." Quick recovery time. Admirable. Very admirable. This fellow had probably seen many stranger things in all his years practicing medicine.

"Thank you, sir. And congratulations, again. You must be excited to retire."

"Oh, yes, ma'am. There is an extra-wide lawn chair with my name on it, sitting beneath an umbrella down on a sunny Florida beach."

"That sounds amazing, but you are much braver than I. That Florida humidity would kill me!" If I weren't already dead. And if I wouldn't have to worry about sparkling like a disco ball in the Florida sunshine and therefore never live there anyway. But I digress.

"Well, the missus isn't looking forward to drinking her air, either, but I think it will provide a quite lovely change of pace. Little rain and no snow! I'm getting delirious just thinking about it!"

"Well, send us some vitamin c, Doc."

"Only if you send me some Vitamin R!" He laughed that big booming laugh again.

"That can be arranged, I'm certain!"

"Oh, I am going to miss it here, though. That's for darn sure. I've lived here for quite a while now, you know. It's tough to leave," he sighed.

"I bet it is. But, hey, just think of all the sand and sun you'll have down there. I bet that will ease the ache."

"Oh yeah. Fishing, sunbathing, margaritas. I might just leave tonight!" His vibrant mood was back and I laughed at his words. The things he was describing did sound like a good time just waiting to happen. It was moments like this that I regretted my humanity being lost so long ago, in a time when sunbathing and margaritas were not even heard of.

"You just promise me, young lady, that you will not let Carlisle ever slack on his job. Forks is depending on him now. Oh, who am I kidding? They've been depending on him for a long time, but it is _official _now! Most importantly, though, don't you let him forget that family comes first. We're blessed with only a short time on this earth, and it's not meant to be spent doing nothing but work."

I nodded, sincerely moved by the man's words. Of course, Carlisle had eternity to spend with his family, but still, the sentiment was touching, and it seemed extremely personal to the doctor. I sensed regrets; regrets that he wanted to make sure remained his own. I looked at Dr. Hardwicke and saw a man who had lived life and whose old age had sneaked upon him, unbidden and unwanted, but unavoidable. I saw a man that wanted to make sure no one else repeated his mistakes. And, I saw a man that was wearing a shirt entirely too bright and happy to be having so depressing a conversation.

"I promise."

"All right. Well, I won't keep you from partying. You and Miss Swan come see me once she arrives, though. I must say hello, and give her my congratulations on snagging one of Forks' most true beauties."

"Yes, sir, we will definitely say hello. And thank you. It means a lot to hear you say that," I said, smiling.

The doctor embraced me gently and then walked away, bidding me temporary adieu. By now, the rest of the family had dispersed, leaving me to fend for myself until Bella arrived. This reminded me….

I walked out to the patio of the restaurant and pulled my cell phone from my clutch. I quickly dialed Bella's number. Then, I decided against it. She told me she would be here, and I believed her. She was not even running late! The last thing I wanted was to seem overbearing, especially when I had promised Bella that I would do my best to not be paranoid. She had asked for solitude, specifically. So, I placed my phone back in my purse and then went back into the cozy restaurant. I spotted Dr. Weitz as she stood near the snack table.

Dr. Weitz was the local pediatrician, and was also one of the very sweetest people I knew. I doubted that she could be rude, even if her very life depended on it. I caught her eye from across the room, waved, and smiled. She waved in return, her mouth too full of pretzels to really smile. She motioned me over and I began to cross the room. I waited politely for her to chew her food and swallow before beginning a conversation.

"Miss Rosalie! It's been a while!" she began.

"It has!"

We were chatting about insignificant things, just a tad more personal than small talk about the weather, when I became aware that something was wrong. Definitely wrong. It all happened very suddenly. I was mid-conversation when I heard a sudden crash. I whipped around to see the source of the new commotion, careful not to move suspiciously quickly. I expected to see either Bella surrounded by shards of a salad bowl (I could not smell her, but maybe that was due to the number of people in a small place) or some young waiter crying over the rubble of dropped champagne glasses. Instead, I saw Alice, eyes glazed over, a look of horror forming on her face, broken water glass at her feet. Edward was by her side immediately and ushered her towards the door to the deck outside.

_ No. Please do not let it be Bella. _Where was she, anyway? I knew that her truck was not Maserati-fast, but still…. _It's after seven_. _She should be here by now. Maybe I should have called after all. _I was beginning to panic, and my certainty that Bella was in danger grew.

"Please excuse me, Dr. Weitz," I said, cutting the woman off mid-sentence. I walked as fast as I dared to join Alice and Edward outside. Alice was nearly doubled over and appeared to be sobbing.

"Edward. What is happening? Tell me."

He faltered.

"Edward!" I demanded.

"Rosalie, it's Bella."


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N:  
****General:  
**- Sorry for the delay! This story just doesn't flow like it used to. I won't abandon it, though. Promise.  
- VERY short chapter. Well, compared to chapter twenty-nine.  
- "Inception" fans: visit my other stories and let your mind be blown. ;)  
- Bellice, Jalice, & Jaspward fans: I have a new story, "Thinking Of You", that might catch your fancy. :)

**Warnings:  
**- None are coming to mind.  
- Actually, one warning: **Be on the lookout for falling cliches.**

**Disclaimer:  
**- SMeyer is still the man. Well, you know what I mean...

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Bella's POV

As I reached the faded stop sign just below our driveway, I fiddled with the radio, praying that the downpour would wait, at least until I got closer to my destination in Port Angeles. There, the radio signals were stronger and the rain would not interfere quite as badly. Here in Forks, even the slightest drizzle meant that there would be static across the board, even on the supposedly infallible AM stations, not that I would want to listen to those anyway.

I peered out the misty windshield up to the dreary sky above. It was slowly blackening, a huge dark cloud slowly making its way towards Port Angeles. Perfect. No, this weather was nothing new, but still…. Could the rain not wait just _one _more day, a day when I had nothing planned? No, it just had to storm when I actually had something to do besides go to school or to a shift at Newton's. I shook my head and sighed at the way that life seemed to operate sometimes.

_C'est la vie! _I thought.

I drove onto the nearly empty paved road, honking the horn and waving my hand as I passed Ms. Slade, the neighborhood's resident 'artsy loon', as she was quite affectionately called. She was a recent Seattle transplant with an obvious flair for the loud and dramatic, but she was one of my very favorite people in the town. She paused in her tending to the flowers in her yard and quickly returned my friendly gesture. I smiled and then turned my eyes back to the road upon which I was currently speeding (but only by a little). Being the sheriff's daughter most definitely had its advantages. I laughed at myself and turned the radio up, ignoring the oh-so-annoying static as best I could.

Soon, though, the sky was darkening much more quickly than before; apparently, I was driving right into the storm, and I loathed Mother Nature's horrible, horrible timing, but not for the first time in my life.

Rain gradually began to fall; first, small drops hit my windshield intermittently. Eventually, large drops pelted my windshield rapidly. The rain was nothing new, but I was a bit surprised to find myself caught in something nearly resembling traffic as the storm slowed people down ahead. Coming to a stop a safe distance from the car in front of me, I jumped at the first boom of thunder I heard. It sounded as though the storm was directly above me, and there seemed to be no chance that there would soon be a reprieve.

Turning on my blinking warning lights, I carefully pulled off the slick road to consider each of my options. If I stayed on my original route the roads would be easier to navigate, but traffic would be backed up once I got closer to town, and I'd be delayed. However, Charlie took enough care to show me alternate routes to any place I might need to go. There was a side road that would get me to Port Angeles, one that not many people even knew existed. Brave truck drivers used it occasionally since it kept them out of heavy traffic, but otherwise the road didn't see much action at all. The only negative was that the road was not well-maintained. Still, that was my only alternative, and it sounded much better than going with my original plan, at least in this weather.

The rain was still pounding noisily on the truck as I slowly backed up along the shoulder. Once I was free of the small line of cars, I made a three-point turn and began driving in the direction of both my house and the alternate road in question. I turned the radio up more to try and drown out the storm, but the combined noise just gave me a headache, so I turned the radio completely off as I turned carefully onto the old road. Pothole after pothole marred the aged asphalt, but my truck handled it quite well, I noted proudly with a smile.

Soon, the trees gave way to open (but cloudy) sky on my left and cliff-face on my right. Despite the roughness of the pavement and the curvature of the road, the drive was smooth sailing. Not a single vehicle was in sight, and even the rain seemed to slack off just the smallest bit. _Much better_, I thought with a sigh, though I couldn't completely relax just yet. This road would grow treacherous in terrain soon enough, and the deepening evening would not help matters. I needed to focus on getting to Port Angeles in one piece, preferably on time. The being-on-time part was wishful thinking, maybe, but it was definitely worth a shot.

The radio played a melancholy piano tune. The song was depressing, but it kept me calm as I traveled farther down the road. I knew it was a straight shot that would land me right into the middle of town, but how long would it take? I debated with myself against calling Charlie, and finally decided to do so. I checked the road in front of and behind me, making sure the road was empty, and slowed down a little bit. I reached over for my purse, one hand gripping the steering wheel and my eyes glued firmly to the road, and began to dig for my phone. I was having no luck in finding it, though. Finally, I looked away from the road and searched once more for my phone. Every few seconds I would glance at the road, making sure I was still on it, and then back to my purse, which apparently did not contain my phone. Eyes up once more, I felt for my phone on the seat around me. Nothing. I was ready to give up when I spotted something gleaming on my floorboard. Finally! I leaned down to pick up my phone, and when I sat back up, I screamed.

Rosalie's POV

"Rosalie, it's Bella."

"What do you mean it's Bella? What did Alice see? What did you see, Alice?"

I resisted the urge to shake an answer out of her. For all of my impending hysteria, there was still an important façade to keep hold of.

"There's been an accident, Rose."

"Has been? Or will be?"

Edward sighed, "It's difficult to tell."

"Well, we have to go find her."

"And tell everyone here what, exactly?"

"To hell with everyone here, Edward. I don't care what you tell them. Where is she?"

"It's nowhere I recognize. There are no landmarks. No street signs, no houses, no distinguishing features whatsoever."

"There has to be something."

"The road she's on is cliffside," Alice finally spoke up. "And the truck that causes the accident is a logging truck."

"That's spectacularly helpful, Alice."

"Rosalie, this isn't her fault."

"Whatever. I'm leaving. Edward?"

"Yes. I'll go with you. Alice, you and Jasper stay with Mom and Dad, and call me if you see anything else. _Anything_. I'll go get Emmett, and then we'll go. We might need his help."

I simply nodded and then hurried through the crowd to the car.

Bella was out there somewhere. I had to get to her before it was too late.

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A/N:

- Chapter thirty-one will be up eventually.  
- Reviews = LOVE. 


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